BUSINESS
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry provided a recent update (Aug 5) stating, among other things, that an administrative sanction had been imposed on PT RMU in May this year due to its responsibility for violations and/or non-compliance in the company's operations in its ecosystem restoration concession.
According to the country's forestry authorities, the imposition of this government-enforced sanction was carried out after considering the results of an inspection of the RMU concession in March 2021 which proved that violations and/or non-compliance by the company had indeed taken place.
The sanction against RMU, otherwise known as the Katingan Mentaya Project, requires the company, within a strict period of time, to fulfill certain legal obligations with regard to the violations and/or non-compliance in question.
These legal obligations include the restoration of the burned peat ecosystem in its concession – spanning an area of approximately 1,700 hectares - within a maximum of 180 calendar days, as well as the completion of facilities and infrastructure for controlling forest fires within 90 calendar days.
In addition to violations involving forest fires, the company was also declared to have violated and/or not complied with three other obligations associated with environmental documents, while also failing to meet two obligations pertaining to the management of hazardous and toxic waste.
RMU was given 30 calendar days each to fulfill its obligations related to the implementation of the company's environmental documents and the management of hazardous and toxic waste.
Existing forestry concessions are among the areas inhabited by flagship species, including the Bornean orangutan. Indeed, the RMU concession is one example of such a concession, as seen below by a Bornean orangutan inside the concession captured by video trap and posted by the company.
Constructive response from RMU
RMU, meanwhile, has confirmed that it is currently making efforts to fully comply with the sanction handed down by the Indonesian forestry authorities.
“As the business license holder, we are complying with the administrative sanction imposed by the ministry. We are currently in the process of fulfilling (the terms of) this sanction,” RMU Director Rezal Kusumaatmadja replied in writing to a request for a response from FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Aug 6).
He also gave a constructive view on the imposition of the sanction from the ministry, pointing out that it forms part of the guidance and performance evaluation of the forestry authorities, thus necessitating full legal compliance from RMU.
“For us, this (the imposition of the sanction) is part of the guidance and evaluation of our performance, and it is thus an obligation we must fulfill based on the directions and instructions of the ministry,” Kusumaatmadja wrote.
Given the sanction on RMU was imposed in May 2021, the company will be kept busy over the coming months ensuring full legal compliance with it, especially considering that one of the obligations laid out in the sanction has to be met to the maximum extent possible by November this year.
As emphasized by the Indonesian forestry authorities in its update, the sanction imposed on RMU will certainly have more serious legal consequences if it is not complied with within the specified times, in which case the level of the sanction will be stepped up and become heavier.
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BUSINESS
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry provided a recent update (Aug 5) stating, among other things, that an administrative sanction had been imposed on PT RMU in May this year due to its responsibility for violations and/or non-compliance in the company's operations in its ecosystem restoration concession.
According to the country's forestry authorities, the imposition of this government-enforced sanction was carried out after considering the results of an inspection of the RMU concession in March 2021 which proved that violations and/or non-compliance by the company had indeed taken place.
The sanction against RMU, otherwise known as the Katingan Mentaya Project, requires the company, within a strict period of time, to fulfill certain legal obligations with regard to the violations and/or non-compliance in question.
These legal obligations include the restoration of the burned peat ecosystem in its concession – spanning an area of approximately 1,700 hectares - within a maximum of 180 calendar days, as well as the completion of facilities and infrastructure for controlling forest fires within 90 calendar days.
In addition to violations involving forest fires, the company was also declared to have violated and/or not complied with three other obligations associated with environmental documents, while also failing to meet two obligations pertaining to the management of hazardous and toxic waste.
RMU was given 30 calendar days each to fulfill its obligations related to the implementation of the company's environmental documents and the management of hazardous and toxic waste.
Existing forestry concessions are among the areas inhabited by flagship species, including the Bornean orangutan. Indeed, the RMU concession is one example of such a concession, as seen below by a Bornean orangutan inside the concession captured by video trap and posted by the company.
Constructive response from RMU
RMU, meanwhile, has confirmed that it is currently making efforts to fully comply with the sanction handed down by the Indonesian forestry authorities.
“As the business license holder, we are complying with the administrative sanction imposed by the ministry. We are currently in the process of fulfilling (the terms of) this sanction,” RMU Director Rezal Kusumaatmadja replied in writing to a request for a response from FORESTHINTS.NEWS (Aug 6).
He also gave a constructive view on the imposition of the sanction from the ministry, pointing out that it forms part of the guidance and performance evaluation of the forestry authorities, thus necessitating full legal compliance from RMU.
“For us, this (the imposition of the sanction) is part of the guidance and evaluation of our performance, and it is thus an obligation we must fulfill based on the directions and instructions of the ministry,” Kusumaatmadja wrote.
Given the sanction on RMU was imposed in May 2021, the company will be kept busy over the coming months ensuring full legal compliance with it, especially considering that one of the obligations laid out in the sanction has to be met to the maximum extent possible by November this year.
As emphasized by the Indonesian forestry authorities in its update, the sanction imposed on RMU will certainly have more serious legal consequences if it is not complied with within the specified times, in which case the level of the sanction will be stepped up and become heavier.
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