Jakarta - Forest sustainability management efforts in Indonesia are entering a new phase. LKPP (Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Agency) will include SVLK (Timber Legality Verification System) as one of the criteria in the procurement of wood-based goods by government agencies.

This was revealed by the Head of LKPP, Dr. Agus Prabowo in a Focus Group Discussion organized by Bappenas, LKPP, Multistakeholder Forestry Programme 3 (MFP3) and WWF Indonesia, Tuesday, January 26, 2016 in Jakarta. Dr. Agus Prabowo stated that so far companies that have SVLK have complained about not getting a market. "For that we provide a market for companies that have SVLK," said Agus.

In his presentation, Dr. Agus Prabowo also explained that companies that will participate in the procurement process of wood-based goods, are obliged to show SVLK certificate references as one of the criteria that must be met for their products to be included in the LKPP procurement e-catalog.

Mid/late last year, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) issued circular No. S553/UM-4/2015 requiring SVLK certificates as one of the requirements in wood-based procurement within the MoEF. "The availability of SVLK certified products for the domestic market is very adequate, to date more than 1,300 companies have SVLK certificates," said Dr. Rufi'ie, Director of Forest Product Processing and Marketing, MoEF. "Government consumption of timber-based products is high, for building construction, paper and furniture, and this will continue to increase in line with economic growth in Indonesia"". "Illegal logging has brought environmental destruction in many parts of Indonesia, and is partly to blame for the floods, landslides and fires that afflict the country," said Basah Hernowo, Director of Forestry and Water Resources Conservation, Bappenas, at the event.

Meanwhile Budi S Wardhana, Director of Policy Sustainability and Transformation, WWF-Indonesia said "We welcome and are ready to support the government and other parties in preparing the implementation of SVLK as one of the criteria for the procurement of wood-based goods". It is expected that the demand for legality-guaranteed products from Indonesia will not only be consumed by people abroad, but also domestically as a form of good buying commitment. This will certainly trigger the enthusiasm of business actors to use legal timber, as well as increase the motivation of furniture SMIs in Indonesia to continue to make SVLK certified products with market clarity coming from the government and the Indonesian people at large.< br />

Further information:

• Nur Maliki Arifiandi, GFTN Trade and Networking Coordinator - WWF Indonesia

Email: nmarifiandi@wwf.id Phone: +62-8151-60736