INDONESIA - LEVIES TO INCREASE FOR FOREST RESTORATION (30.12.09)
Indonesia will raise levies in a bid to add 30 trillion rupiah (about 3.24 billion U.S. dollars) in the state budget to finance its forest restoration programs over the next 10 years, the Jakarta Post quoted a minister as saying on Monday. "We'll increase the forest levies as planned. We understand the forestry industry is in a slump, so we'll proceed after listening to their opinion so that the increase will not impose too high burden on them," said the Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan over the weekend. The levies, which are categorized as non-state budget revenue will be applied next year. However, he noted, the increase would be designed to promote the forest restoration campaign and to encourage the public not to cut down trees irresponsibly, while allowing the forest industry to grow.
