Forestry Minister Rejects Facilities Offered By HTI Companies

Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Feb. 12 (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan rejected certain facilities offered by two industrial forest (HTI) concession holders when he visited Riau Province on Friday. "The forestry minister was furious at his subordinates and rejected all facilities offered by the companies," an anonymous source told ANTARA. The minister was told about the offered facilities when he arrived at the Sultan Syarif Kasim II airport in Pekanbaru. He was greeted among others by directors of the two largest forestry companies in Riau, PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), and PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper (IKPP). The companies had prepared three helicopters for the minister who had planned to make an aerial observation of Riaus forest areas. When informed about the facilities prepared by the companies, Hasan became furious and the resulting tension caused the ministers program to be delayed for 30 minutes. "The minister refused to make the aerial inspection in the company of personnel from the two companies. And he remained in the airports VIP room until the company directors had left," ANTARAs source said. The minister also refused to use the companies helicopters , and eventually made his aerial inspection of Riaus forests aboard a chartered helicopter from the police. But the minister declined to talk to reporters about the incident. Zulkifli Yusuf, Riaus provincial forestry office head, on a separate occasion, confirmed that the minister was angry about the forestry companies gesture and had refused to use the offered facilities. Yusuf was in the airports VIP room together with the forestry minister and Riau Governor Rusli Zainal when the incident happened. "I think, the minister did the right thing. It was meant to preserve his independence as a state official," he said. The forestry minister was in Riau to personally see the condition of Riaus forests and get first hand information on the provinces forestry problems. One of the forestry problems concerned the expansion of RAPPs concession area which included peat forests on the Kampar Peninsula, he said. The case had drawn criticisms from environmental organizations and local residents.