Govt takes tough line against APP’s continual exploitation of burned peatlands

As if unaware of the existence of a regulation prohibiting land preparation and the replanting of last year’s burned peatlands in its pulpwood concessions, a subsidiary of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) operating in the province of South Sumatra has been shown to be conducting business-as-usual practices. This is according to a ground-check performed by Indonesia’s Ministry of the Environment and Forestry.

“The ground-check showed that this APP pulpwood company continues to carry out land preparation and replanting of acacia in last year’s burned peatlands. Separately, APP is busy with its own landscape conservation. This is one of the legal factors we took into consideration in rejecting APP’s landscape conservation,” San Afri Awang, the Director General of Forestry Planology and Environmental Governance at the ministry, told foresthints.news.

The Director General strongly urged APP to improve its internal management so that it didn’t need to portray a dishonest image of itself to the world.

“APP must focus on improving its compliance with Indonesian laws and regulations, particularly when it comes to their operations in drained peat domes and burned peatlands across their pulpwood concessions.”

He went on to issue a warning on the case: “Exploiting burned peatlands in their concession areas is a fatal mistake in a legal sense.”

These two photos illustrate that the APP company PT BAP continues to carry out land preparation and replanting of acacia in last year’s burned peatlands.