MINISTRY OF FORESTRY TO PURSUE FORESTRY FEE DODGERS

Jakarta, March 14 (ANTARA) - The Forestry Ministry will pursue 543 firms and individuals who owe the state Rp348.6 billion in unpaid forestry fees in an effort to save the state money, a senior official said.

"The government will also settle soon the problem of forestry fees which have been transferred to the State Asset and Auction Services Office (KPKNL)," Director General for Forestry Development Hadi Daryanto said here on Sunday.

He said that his office would take stern action to settle the problem of unpaid forestry fees. "We will continue to pursue the forestry fee dodgers until the problem is settled," he said.

The director general said his side will also made public the names of companies and individuals who still owed the state in unpaid forestry fees.

"If the names of dodgers are made public, they usually become ashamed and that they will pay their debts," Daryanto said.

The Rp348.6 billion unpaid forestry fees consisted of Rp113.28 billion in provincial forest resources fees (PSDH) and Rp235.36 in reforestation funds (DR).

Daryanto said that of the 543 forestry fee dodgers, a total of 36 natural forest concessionaires (IUPHHK-HA) and 508 others were tree utilization concessionaires (IPK) and small-scale HPPs.