A Sustainable Forest Management Incentive,
A Gift, Or A Blunder?
By :
Rama Ardana & Faisal H. Fuad
FOREWORD
One of considerations in Perhutani's work territory and authority expansion is—as declared by Perhutani's Managing Director–that Perum Perhutani, although not perfect, is the best forest management unit in Indonesia1. There will be long discussions about the truth of the statement. The questions would be what indicators and criteria are used, who makes the judgement, which management units are compared to conclude the best management, and whether any management units such as forest management by community were ignored in the comparison. The truth of the statement might be based on Perhutani's successful of gaining well-managed forest certificates from FSC-Smart Wood recently.
B. PERUM PERHUTANI, A WELL-MANAGED FOREST?
In 1990s, Perhutani was first certified as a well-managed forest by FSC-Smart Wood (FSC-SW). In 1997, FCS-SW suspended the certification and planned to perform district specific approach re-certification. In 1998, FSC-SW assessed three Forest Management Districts (FMDs). The FMDs auditing process revealed many aspects to be necessarily reformed.
Using sampling approach, the re-certification considered FMD as a management unit. However, there are many questions upon its process and result. Perhutani monopolized forest management in Java needs long and hard work to be properly mentioned as a well-managed forest management.
1. FMD is not proper to be considered as autonomic management unit, unless the existence of following conditions:
- The planning system should return to be corporation plan (Rencana Perusahaan-RP), instead of restricted technical Sustainable Forest Management Plan (Rencana Pengaturan Kelestarian Hutan-RPKH).
- FMD should be given authority to determine their own vision and mission in accordance with local forest and environment characteristics.
- FMD should be given authority in selling product.
- FMD should be given opportunities to built relationship with other appropriate institutions.
- FMD should be given authority to manage their own organizational human resource, especially in position analyzing, assignments, and mutations.
- FMD should be given authority to manage their own finances, while amount of contribution to upper level management (Unit/Direction) depends on their potency.
2. A long road to coercive forestry.
Since 1974, Perhutani started to conduct prosperity approach programs. Prosperity approaches were aimed to extend job opportunities and to increase community income, with an expectation of decreasing forest security interference. The programs were also expected to be able to constrict unproductive area.
There are questions upon the reported income increasing successful such as which community whose income successfully increased; how extensive was the impact; and upon whose costs and sacrifices the income increasing took place.
Those unparticipative prosperity approach programs are expected to be able to decrease forest security interference; in other word, to decrease security cost. Ironically, Perum Perhutani keep continuing repressive policional approach to preserve their forest.
Perhutani's social forestry programs are finally not more than a tool to overcome looted area problem. The programs have never solved villager's actual problems as their planning system and procedure were always top-down and never seriously involved forest villager aspirations.
Social approaching was implemented to obtain low-pay workers, to save cost, and to decrease time consumption in field job accomplishment.
C. BETWEEN RECOMMENDATION, CONDITION, AND REALITY
Principle #2 of FSC-SW certification requires the clearly defined, documented, and legally established long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources. It would be a heavy task for Perhutani to meet the requirement.
D. COMMUNITY FORESTRY IS FAR MORE WELL-MANAGED
While the myth of the best forest management by Perhutani occurs, there are many evidences recorded empirically prove that community forestry is far more well-managed.
Perum Perhutani can only supply less than one-third of total log demand in Java. The other two-third are supplied altogether by community forestry, illegal logging from Perhutani's forest, and shipped-in logs from off Java.
Indeed, the supply from community forest is less proportion to compare with the supply from Perhutani. Nevertheless, considering to their forest width, it is clearly showed how unproductive Perhutani's forest is; on the other hand how well-managed community forest is.
E. CERTIFICATION: HARD HOMEWORK
Based on condition as described above, we think it would necessary to suggest all party to be extremely careful in implementing every initiative concerning Perum Perhutani certification, due to the following aspects:
- Policy Reformation and Institutional Rearrangement
- Community Needs Fulfillment
Implementing certification at the lower-level management units is naïve when decisions are taken at the top-level management. FMDs are only technical field executors, while most management aspects are set by the policy maker who is hierarchically their upper-level management. This top-down management phenomena is clearly exposed in social-forestry program development, in which members of Forest Farmer Groups have never been involved in utilization planning process upon their forest farm land. It is necessary to radically reform the policies and rearrange organizational structure to construct management concept providing forest villager wider opportunities to participate and to develop autonomic regional management units.
When Perum Perhutani developed mechanism of equalizing forest villager's social prosperity, the objectives were to reconstruct good relationship between Perhutani and villager as well as providing villager incentives to help them achieving their own needs (at least in critical point). In fact, community needs–which are commonly few and various–are not accommodated. Instead of fulfilling the huge amount of firewood villager need, Perum Perhutani keep concentrating on teakwood bunch production and never shared the product to them–who were plant the trees (See box for detailed illustration).
Villager's needs vs. forest contribution
| Need for employment | 6.723 | Person |
| Number of required employees in BH Randublatung | 4.440 | |
| Need of farming land | 2.948,1 | Hectares |
| BH Randublatung forest width | 5.216,6 | |
| Need for construction wood | 45 | M3/year |
| Harvesting target volumes in BH Randublatung, year 2000 | 5.376 | |
| Need for firewood | 125.750 | Sm3/year |
| Firewood abundance in BH Randublatung | 5.246 | |
| Need for fodder | 52.568 | Ton/year |
| Fodder abundance | N/A |
3. Wild Cutting and Forest Villager Stigmatization
In handling wild cutting problem, Perum Perhutani is jailed in paradigm of poor community as the main cause of forest plundering, and accuses villager of being the main actor. Consequently, villager becomes the foremost victim of confiscating and (even) blackmailing in repressive operations confronting the massive forest plundering.In fact, the main problem of teakwood stealing is not always identical to poverty. The theft is more strongly connected to industry structure, law enforcement, and the weak monitoring as it is conducted by corruptive, collusive, and manipulative military/POLRI apparatus and even Perhutani officials. These dilapidated conditions are even aggravated by the powerful of illegal logging traders to influence policy maker by bribery (see cases reported from newspaper).
Approximately 48% lumber in furniture industry in Jepara comes from illegal logging. Noted that log demand of 668.000 m3 logs per year is imbalance with supply of 350.000 m3 logs from Perhutani.
(Kompas, December 26th 1998)
The 977 wood industries in Central Java need 6.000.000 m3 logs per year, and only 2.900.000 m3 can be locally supplied. The rest of 3.100.000 m3 has to be supplied from off central Java. This is why forest stealing largely occurs.
(Suara Merdeka, August 26th, 2000)
Trees stealing in Perhutani's forest occurred since a long time ago, but in fewer amounts. Forest plundering begun in 1998 was more strongly caused by the highly logs price affected by the increasingly export demand in Central Java.
(Kompas, December 26th 1998)
During last 2 years FMD Cepu handled 4 trees stealing cases involving 7 officials…some officials were formerly transferred out of Blora due to their involvement in previous forest stealing case. In facts these officials were transferred back to Blora and did stealing again.
(Suara Merdeka, August 7th, 2000)
A man was shoot by head of forest sub-sub management district (MANTRI) in Semarang FMD in a case of teakwood trees stealing. This violence began when the man released from detaining after paying an amount of guaranteeing money to forest guard. "I had to pay to get released, while other didn't pay anything," said the victim.
(Bernas July 1st, 2000)
Drs. Sutoyo Abdi said, a member of Commission B Central Java provincial assembly said, "Wood syndicates have tried to negotiate by offering money to board members who try to uncover illegal logging."
(Wawasan, July 21st 2000)
Chief of Perum Perhutani's Human Resource Development Division, Ir. Rijanto Tri Wahyono stated that approximately 10% of Perhutani officials are involved in forest stealing. He added, "They come from all level management. Officials from lower level management tend to involve directly with the stealth, while upper level officials have their involvement hard to be proved, i.e. involvement of Direction board."
(Pikiran Rakyat, July 13th 2000)
4. Forest Product Business Administration Monitoring
The ongoing CoC certification process tends to be less responsive to the disarrayment of teakwood business administration. It is easy to prove that business administration problem strongly connects to the over-demanded forestry industry structure. In addition, forest product business administration monitoring is polluted by corruption, manipulation, and falsification activities.
There are many facts on illegal log slipping using twice-usable inspection pass, trick of mixing legal and illegal timbre, blank inspection pass trading, and involvement of officials in enclosing inspection pass to illegal logs. Perum Perhutani also tends to neglect shipped-in logs from off Java with fake inspection pass (some cases are presented in box).
The fake inspection passes are well printed, and in some cases are undistinguishable to the original. Ironically, there was a case of confiscation of logs with original inspection pass enclosed.
Deputy of Commission B visitation in Gresik Port found out Perhutani officials not be able to present informations about timber traffic in the port. Member of TNI/POLRI fraction Kol. Inf. Manaf even sensed of covering up. The seized logs are indicated to disappear as the manipulating data on volumes and quality in the register.
…..strongly suspected the inspection pass making in shipping GF and Flooring lumber involved Perhutani officials in district where the inspection pass was printed…there is possibility that those boarding passes are remainder of year 1999. However, there is also possibility that the case is completely a falsification, including the stamps.
An inspection pass falsification syndicate is uncovered. The press house cost Rp. 100.000 per piece of pass. Buyers buy the pass in the price of Rp. 400.000/pcs. With the fake pass, buyers can complete the required information by themselves. The fake pass helped buyers slipping approximately 10m3/truck logs.
Suspectedly fake inspection pass is encountered during an operation in Grobogan. The June 23rd 2000 dated pass was issued by Begal Forest Management Sub District (FMSD). Local Policemen said that the similar cases have been occurred several times. He will call Head of Ngawi FMD to clarify the cases.
A wood industrialist in Brebes was uncovered to sell fake inspection pass. He has successfully slipped teakwood logs at least 5 times. According to suspect, the blue and white colored passes were printed in a press house in Tegal. The passes fakely signed and stamped as they were issued by Balapulang FMD. At first glance, the passes look the same with the original ones. Policemen seized 95 pieces of blank passes, fake Balapulang and Songgom FMD stamps, and 5 pieces of already used passes.
Commission C Central Java regional assembly uncovered misuse of inspection pass (SAKO and SKSHH), and wondered why the forestry regional office/Perhutani don't seem to immediately fix the problem. Instead, Perhutani tends to neglect the distribution of blank passes.
It need only a Rp. 100.000/m3 SAKO/SAKB inspection pass to slip logs from Tegal port. There are even available a Rp. 200.000/m3 SKSHH inspection pass that can be adjusted to the volumes of logs.
Head of Tanjung Emas port, Subagyo confessed to have difficulty to distinguish the fake inspection pass and the originals, as they are looked exactly same.
Hundreds of wood industry workers and industrialists in Karangantu port, Serang, protested illegal logging operation ("Operasi Hiu Macan 2000) by Polairud. According to them, the SAKO and SAKB passes enclosed to the shipped-in logs by the port are valid, but Polairud claimed them to be counterfeit.
5. Forest Area Management
Apart from adherence to national regulation (Government Regulation No. 5/1999), Perum Perhutani should give respect to local law and norm systems. One of the systems is implementation of village boundaries inner and outer forest, as a resultant of local negotiation and bargaining process. Forestry tradition belongs to local community since long time before Perum Perhutani establishment–even since long time before Dutch Company arrival—has divided forest and land area as common property into villages. Perum Perhutani on the opposite, always consider forest area lied in village to be absolutely under their authority as state property, including prohibition of sawmill industry establishment around forest area. This never-united difference of interpretation is aggravated by conflicts resulted from inaccurately maps and the not well-managed alignment between Perum Perhutani and agrarian institutionals i.e. National Agrarian Agency (Badan Pertanahan Nasional-BPN).
…Samin move in 20th century in Java is example of rights struggling of local subsistence. Forest villagers in Rembang have been long time taking woods from forests surrounding their villages. When Dutch colonial forestry officials had them not to take wood from forest, they struggled. "Land, water, and woods are belong to everyone," they said. They believe what they taking have been always their prescriptive rights.
PHPA and Perhutani forced landowners to have their land taken over in order to build nature preserve. In the taking over, landowners were paid nothing. Titles of land ownership were periodically given to these landowner since 1966 to 1982.
Hundreds villagers from Pandanlandung village (Malang district), amockly removed block boundary poles upon 10 hectares land planned to build Perhutani housing. Perhutani planned to sell the housing; which means they planned to illegally sell state property. Villagers claimed to have been paying land taxes during 42 years. Head of Kabupaten Malang had agreed to give up the land to be village property.
Villagers from Cijati village, near Cirata Dam, complained to DPRD and demanded of 143 billions rupiahs compensation upon their taken over land and stands. PLN has reimbursed Perhutani of using the land to built dam, but villagers proved that the land belong to them. The court sentenced Perhutani to compensate Rp. 10.000/m2 to villagers. Perhutani refused the decision and appealed to higher court.
After years of farming, villagers from five villages in Muara Gembong sub district were threatened by Perhutani to be chased away unless they pay for the using of forest farm. Realizing of being intimidated, the villagers complained to DPRD.
According to Perhutani Unit III Public Relation, establishing sawmill industry requires: industry license from Deperindag, license of location from PEMDA, recommendation from Perhutani, and settled at least 5 km away from forest boundary.
6. Perum Perhutani as A Public Service
Perum Perhutani –with their timber management paradigm– have not made even a single step toward a State-Owned Corporation/BUMN with public service oriented mission of raising community prosperity besides benefit earning. Perum Perhutani is still oriented to the control and authority upon their venture rights (Hak Guna Usaha-HGU). Furthermore, this power concentration often inhibits the small-scale industry development when the officials use their power as economic tools. The weaks and the poors are victim of accustomed illegal tariff collection.
Policemen –and even Perhutani officials—doubted the validity of inspection pass, and blackmailed of Rp. 1.050.000.
Reader letter complained the time consuming process in obtaining inspection pass in Malang FMD although all requirements are completed. There's no certainty when the process will be finished.
Teakwood industrialists in Bojonegoro complained the blackmailing by Perhutani's forest guard, Mantri, and Asper. Blackmailing occurred in process of obtaining purchasing license (Rp. 40.000-50.000/m3), and logging out from harvesting area (Rp. 500.000-1.000.000).
Dialogue on inspection pass between industrialists and Perhutani was participated by district assembly members, Deputy of District Police Department, and Jepara District Government officials. The industrialists pledged the inspection passes distributed in Jepara were invalid, as they were not fit to the actual condition. "You can have agent to obtain inspection pass for you by paying multiple times more expensive, or you may have yourself twistedly obtaining it on your own effort. The simplest way is to buy it from inspection pass issuer in Perhutani office. The letter furthermore could be misused to bleach illegal logs," industrialists said.
7. Forest Stand Management
The gradually more dominated by young age class stand structure indicates degradation of stand quality in Perum Perhutani's forest. Although the forest width remains constant, it is ascertained that productive area would decrease, therefore the annual allowable cut/ annual allowable harvesting would decline. Stand management therefore failed to identify the most important factor influencing forest ecosystem, the community socio-cultural. Basically, Perum Perhutani stand management is not objected to fulfill the forest villager's needs nor to be adjusted to the forest villager developments, but rather to achieve harvesting target and institutional income.
In fact, there has been an overcutting phenomenon during the last ten years; revealed that –generally—forest stands are ‘sacrificed' by Perum Perhutani in order to pursue their targeted income. Certification might be able to guarantee that certified FMD will not overcut their stand. Consequently, Perum Perhutani will ‘sacrify' other FMDs that are not yet certified, in order to achieve the target.
Even in original SKSHH inspection pass enclosed logging, there are no guarantees the logs come from sustainable-managed forest or at least from well-managed forest.
During last three years (1998-2000), product volumes in Mantingan FMD are equal or even less than the stealed volume. In 1998, teakwood logs product was 19.262 m3 while the volumes of stealth was 15.569m3. In 1999, the production volume was 28.403 m3; the stealth volume was 21.865 m3. In 2000, while production target of 22.758m3, stealth logs until July 2000 has reached volume of 24.069m3. According to forest inventory in 1991, the width of productive area in Mantingan FMD was 12.119,3 hectares, and was left only 10.828,6 hectares in 1995 forest inventory. Annual allowable cutting of 22.460 m3/year in 1991-1995 declined to 19.406 m3/year in 1995-2000.
8. Forest Worker Right
Perum Perhutani should arrange a formal policy to enable their forest workers (including forest farmers and women) obtaining their rights and performing negotiation with Perum Perhutani (in accordance with labor policy and ILO convenience). Forest workers' wage has been being based on standard rate that is not locally specific and is minimal. In tumpang sari system2, for instance, workers are paid only on average of Rp. 300.000/ha for a two years long contract period, while the rest are ‘expected' to be paid off from on-farm crop harvesting. In connection to the pay system, Perum Perhutani has not been ever conducted a market survey to determine the exact price of farming products. As the current low-price of farming products, a forest farmer consequently contributes Rp. 200.000/ha/year to Perum Perhutani, in only planting activity.
Furthermore, the hierarchical, feudalical, and obedience based authority structure eliminating worker protest opportunities, the absence of worker association, and the like and dislike based meritocracy, cause the low-level worker (including forest guard assistance, forest guard, to head of Forest Management Sub-Sub District/MANTRI) lack of their struggling media. They often have to accomplish various targets (planting and cutting) in nonsense and inadequate budgets. With their wage and fee insufficiency, they are forced to enslave forest farmers or villagers involved in forestry activities. The accustoming of illegal tariff collection in Perum Perhutani's work territory is rooted to the officials' wage insufficiency.
Furthermore, it's clearly revealed that Perum Perhutani management is extremely insensitive toward gender issue. Their employee recruitments, for instance, rarely place women as field officials. There has not been ever a woman to be employed as a head of Forest Management Sub-Sub district/MANTRI, nor a head of Forest Management District/ASPER, much less a head of Forest Management Region/ADM. Although it was never explicitly clarified, Perum Perhutani tends to doubt women's work performance as field officials.
1.Many forest guards are still paid by contract after working for more than 5 years, and even 10 years.
2.Amount of salary between field worker and the higher levels is far away differed.
9. Human Resource Management Conflict
The badly complicated rooted conflicts and various collisions cause forest management system to be packed by problems. Pressures toward forest are resulted from the high-demand from widely community (including industrialists and speculants). Perum Perhutani have to reconstruct corporations by public consultation in order to solve both forestry and agrarian conflicts. FMD should be designed to an autonomic management unit to be able to develop locally specific planning in accordance with the locally specific condition and the most recent alterations. It would be a heavy task for Perum Perhutani to conduct dialogues with community, community key persons, and forestland users, in a short coming term. In the mean time, they are also demanded to conduct consultations to construct long-term relationship, to manage forest, and to develop adaptive solutions.
DICTIONARY:
Perum Perhutani: State-owned Forest Coorporation of Indonesia, work in Java
FOOTNOTES
1)Declared in a Perum Perhutani's Direction Board – all-Java forest farmer representatives meeting on August 22nd 2000. The paradigm of the best Perhutani management has been being deeply heartened for years by most Perum Perhutani's officials, some academicians and Forestry Department officials.
2)System of plantation re-establishment allows local farmers to plant agricultural crops between plantation tree seedlings, normally for three years before the canopy began to close.
