Indonesia's Environmental Protection Diminished
4/27/99
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Indonesia's Environmental Protection Diminished
Source: EarthVision Reports
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: April 27, 1999
JAKARTA, April 27, 1999 A special report by Asia Environmental Review
found that Indonesia's financial crisis has meant the nation's
efforts to prevent pollution and environmental degradation are "on
the brink of collapse" according to Mr. Sudarsono, Secretary to
Indonesia's Minister for Environment. According to an article in The
Gallon Letter, while Sudarsono was addressing a seminar in Australia
on environmental business prospects in Indonesia, he said the crisis
has also meant that environmental management strategies have had to
be adjusted. There has been a reduced focus on monitoring and
enforcement while more support is provided to meet basic human needs,
he continued.
Commenting on the passage last year of Law Number 23/1997 on
Environmental Management, Sudarsono said the Indonesian Government is
preparing eight environmental regulations under the Act.
Mr. Sudarsono also noted that the government had recently appointed
24 civil investigators to work with police officers on investigations
of breaches of environmental laws, including the illegal lighting of
forest fires.
Yanti Koestoer, the Jakarta-based marketing manager with Australia's
Austrade said that despite the dramatic drops in private sector
environmental work, some opportunities remain within the environment
and water sectors because of internationally-funded projects in these
sectors by the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank.
Source: Source: The Gallon Letter - the 8 to 10 page newsletter
loaded with up to date business and policy information that your
company, government agency, or organization can use immediately. It
is provided twice a month. It is also accompanied by the "Green Jobs
Available Report" that is sent to you once a month. Subscribe for
$180.90 a year($169.00+ $11.90 GST). Make checks payable to: "Gallon
Letter", 506 Victoria Ave., Montreal, Quebec, H3Y 2R5. c 1999
Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, Montreal. All
rights reserved.