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Industry minister asks PT RAPP to double exports
ANTARA News, Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau, Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Industry Minister Mohammad S Hidayat has called on PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper to double its exports in 2013.
"Right now PT RAPP`s exports total 2.244 million tons a year worth US$867,364. In 2103 we ask it could increase the exports to five million tons," he said after dedicating April Technology Center (ATC) in Pengkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan, Riau, on Tuesday.
He said his request was not impossible to meet in view of the potential of the industry to expand its industrial forests to eastern regions such as Papua.
The minister said Papua has a vast forest which could be turned into forest concenssionaires.
"Indeed the target is not easy to achieve. A lot needs to be improvised in terms of quality or quantity," he said.
The minister also referred as a challenge to negative campaign in Europe on paper and pulp from Indonesia.
"The environmental problems raised by a number of non-governmental organizations so far need to be answered. In view of that I appealed to a number of pulp and paper companies to conduct advocacy or use their right to reply to settle the issue," he said.
The issue, he said, had to be settled immediately because Indonesia is ranked the ninth biggest exporter of pulp and the 12th biggest exporter of paper in the world.He said "PT RAPP alone exports paper to 60 countries in the world."
He said the issue was not always true. Moreover President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself had already firmly stated his committment to reducing gas emission by 26 percent.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Rusmadya meanwhile viewed that the idea to raise the value of exports was closely related to production capacity.
"So there will be more natural forests to be converted. The move is a setback and against the President`s commitment to gas emission reduction," he said.
He said the industry minister should have even reviewed the company`s capacity.
"The industry minister must not just believe in the company`s report on its capacity. In addition to it, he must also review its license," he said. (*)
"Right now PT RAPP`s exports total 2.244 million tons a year worth US$867,364. In 2103 we ask it could increase the exports to five million tons," he said after dedicating April Technology Center (ATC) in Pengkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan, Riau, on Tuesday.
He said his request was not impossible to meet in view of the potential of the industry to expand its industrial forests to eastern regions such as Papua.
The minister said Papua has a vast forest which could be turned into forest concenssionaires.
"Indeed the target is not easy to achieve. A lot needs to be improvised in terms of quality or quantity," he said.
The minister also referred as a challenge to negative campaign in Europe on paper and pulp from Indonesia.
"The environmental problems raised by a number of non-governmental organizations so far need to be answered. In view of that I appealed to a number of pulp and paper companies to conduct advocacy or use their right to reply to settle the issue," he said.
The issue, he said, had to be settled immediately because Indonesia is ranked the ninth biggest exporter of pulp and the 12th biggest exporter of paper in the world.He said "PT RAPP alone exports paper to 60 countries in the world."
He said the issue was not always true. Moreover President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself had already firmly stated his committment to reducing gas emission by 26 percent.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Rusmadya meanwhile viewed that the idea to raise the value of exports was closely related to production capacity.
"So there will be more natural forests to be converted. The move is a setback and against the President`s commitment to gas emission reduction," he said.
He said the industry minister should have even reviewed the company`s capacity.
"The industry minister must not just believe in the company`s report on its capacity. In addition to it, he must also review its license," he said. (*)
