Pasuruan - WWF Indonesia and the Pasuruan City Government agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) in Pasuruan City. The CEO of WWF-Indonesia and the Mayor of Pasuruan signed the Memorandum of Understanding at the Pasuruan Mayor's Office on Thursday (27/08).

This agreement is a form of support from both parties to support nature conservation by rejecting the use of illegal wood by local small and medium-sized furniture entrepreneurs. Support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is in the form of implementation policies, capacity building of human resources (HR), and promotion of furniture products from Pasuruan City both at local and international levels.

"To support SVLK, we are implementing one-stop licensing to facilitate furniture SME entrepreneurs, who have been constrained in the process of making Industrial Business Permits (IUI), Environmental Management Efforts (UKL) or Environmental Monitoring Efforts (UPL) In addition, we plan to issue a policy for the procurement of wood-based goods within the Pasuruan city government by including SVLK as one of the criteria," explained Hasani, Mayor of Pasuruan.

This is in line with a circular letter within the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) No. S553/UM-4/2015 which states: S553/UM-4/2015 which requires SVLK as one of the requirements in the procurement of wood-based goods. MoEF has also submitted a proposal to revise Presidential Regulation No. 54 of 2010 concerning Government Procurement of Goods / Services to the Goods / Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP).

WWF Indonesia appreciates the Pasuruan City Government's move to reject the use of illegal timber. "We are ready to support this effort through capacity building of human resources in the SVLK field, especially in its application in the field. WWF encourages that more government institutions will implement similar policies," said Dr.Efransjah, CEO of WWF Indonesia.

WWF Indonesia together with ASMINDO (Association of Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Industries) with the support of EU funds, through the EU-Switch Project, has conducted training for 300 SMEs and mentoring 30 small and medium-sized furniture companies since 2013. "With the collaboration between WWF Indonesia and the Pasuruan City Government, it is expected to help furniture entrepreneurs to obtain SVLK and meet domestic and international market demand," said Rudy T Luwia, Deputy Chairman of Asmindo.

Note to Editor
SWITCH-ASIA is one of the European Union's projects to support sustainable consumption and production in the field of forest products utilization, where this project is implemented in several Asian countries, one of which is in Indonesia. The EU project titled "Promoting the Implementation of Timber Legality Assurance (FLEGT License) as a Key Step to Sustainable Production and Consumption in Indonesia's wood processing Industry" is implemented by WWF Indonesia in collaboration with the Indonesian Furniture & Handicraft Industry Association (ASMINDO) and WWF United Kingdom. The implementation is focused on the islands of Java, Kalimantan and Sumatra. Visit www.timberindonesia.org

Contact:
WWF-Indonesia Nur Maliki Arifiandi +62-(0)-8151-60736 nmarifiandi@wwf.or.id
Asmindo Indrawan +62(0)-816-1623-964 indra_o@yahoo.com
Pasuruan City Government Supriyanto +62(0)-812-1644-5516 supriyanto@gmail.com