Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has released his presidential instructions regarding Indonesia's 2 year logging moratorium. Photo courtesy of World Economic Forum

JAKARTA, Indonesia (23 March, 2011)_Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has finally released the moratorium on permits for new concessions in primary rainforests and peatlands. The moratorium, which took effect January 1, 2011, had yet to be defined until the presidential decree of 20 May, 2011 and aims to slow Indonesia’s high deforestation rate.

Find an unofficial translation of the Presidential Instructions below by Pete Wood from PT Green Gecko.

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INSTRUCTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

NUMBER 10 YEAR 2011

REGARDING

POSTPONENT OF ISSUANCE OF NEW LICENCES

AND

IMPROVING GOVERNANCE OF PRIMARY NATURAL FOREST AND PEATLAND

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA,

In order to balance and harmonize economic, social, cultural and environmental development as well as the efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases carried out through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, instructs:

To:

1. Minister of Forestry;
2. Minister of Home Affairs;
3. Minister of Environment;
4. Head of Presidential Unit for Monitoring and Controlling Development;
5. Head of State Lands Agency;
6. Head of National Spatial Planning Coordination Body;
7. Head of National Survey and Mapping Coordination Body;
8. Head of the Preparatory Unit for the Creation of REDD+ Institutions or the Head of an Institution created to carry out duties specifically in the field of REDD+;
9. Governors;
10. Heads of Districts/Cities;

To:

FIRST:               Take the necessary steps in accordance with their duties, functions and authority to support postponement of the issuance of new licences for primary natural forest and peatland in conservation forests, protected forest, production forest (limited production forest, regular/permanent production forest, production forest that can be converted) and other use areas [area pengunaan lain] as indicated in the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences which is attached to this Presidential Instruction.

SECOND:      The postponement of issuance of new licences as mentioned in dictum number ONE is applicable to the utilization of primary natural forest areas and peatland, with exception granted to:

a.      Applications that have already been approved in principle by the Minister of Forestry;

b.      Implementation of vital national development, i.e. geothermal, oil and natural gas, electricity, land for rice and sugar cane;

c.      Extension of existing licences for forest exploitation and/or forest area utilization as long as the licence for the business remains valid, and

d.        Ecosystem Restoration

THREE             Especially to

1.      Minister of Forestry:

a.      To postpone issuance of new licences for primary natural forest and peatland which are in conservation forest, protected forest, production forest (limited production forest, regular/permanent production forest, production forest that can be converted) based on the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences.

b.      Perfect the policies for the governance of borrow and use licences [izin pinjam pakai] and licences for the exploitation of timber in natural forest.

c.      Increase effectiveness of the management of critical lands taking into consideration good forest and peat land governance policies, amongst others through ecosystem restoration.

d.      To revise the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences in forest areas every 6 (six) months.

e.      To enact the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences in primary natural forest and peatland in revised forest areas.

2.      Minister of Environment:

To reduce emissions from forest and peatland through improvement of governance of proposed business activities in forest and peatland areas as determined in the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences through environmental permits.

3.      Ministry of Internal Affairs:

To provide guidance and supervision to Governors and Heads of Districts/Cities in the implementation of this Presidential Instruction

4.      Head of State Land Agency:

To postpone issuance of rights over land including business use licences  [hak guna usaha] and utilization licences in other use areas based on the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences.

5.      Head of Coordination for National Spatial Planning:

To accelerate consolidation of the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences with the revision of spatial planning maps as part of revising land use governance through collaboration with Governors, Heads of Districts/Cities, and the Head of the Preparatory Unit for the Creation of REDD+ Institutions or the Head of an Institution created to carry out duties specifically in the field of REDD+.

6.      Head of National Survey and Mapping Coordination Body:

To renew the map of forest cover and peatland following the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences in forest areas and other use areas every 6 (six) months through collaboration with Ministry of Forestry, Head of State Land Agency, and Head of the Preparatory Unit for the Creation of REDD+ Institutions or the Head of an Institution created to carry out duties specifically in the field of REDD+.

7.      Governors:

To postpone issuance of new recommendations and location permits in forest areas and peatland and other use areas based on the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences

8.      Head of Districts/Cities:

To postpone issuance of new recommendations and location permits in forest areas and peatland and other use areas based on the Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences.

FOURTH:         The Indicative Map of Postponement of New Licences in other use areas which are a result of revision as referred to in dictum THREE Point 6 will be enacted by the Minister of Forestry

FIFTH:                          Postponement of the issuance of new licences, recommendations,  granting of location permits as referred to in dictum THREE will be done for 2 (two) years starting from the date this Presidential Instruction is issued.

SIXTH:                          The Minister of Forestry will report to the President on the implementation of the Presidential Instruction every 6 (six) months or any time as needed.

SEVENTH:        The Head of the Presidential Working Unit for Monitoring and Control of Development and / or Head of the Preparatory Unit for the Creation of REDD+ Institutions or the Head of an Institution created to carry out duties specifically in the field of REDD+ are to monitor the implementation of this Presidential Instruction and report the result to the President

EIGHT:                         To implement the President Instruction with full responsibilities.

This Presidential Instruction is valid from the date of issue.

Issued in Jakarta

On 20 May 2011

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA,

Signed.

DR. H. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO

Copy is made according to the original

SECRETARIAT CABINET RI

Deputy of Economic Unit,

Signed.

Retno Pudji Budi Astuti