Timika, Jubi – The Mimika Forestry Department urged logging companies in the region to build an integrated wood processing industry in order to make it easier for the government to supervise and benefit from the industrial activities.
“If all the timber companies runs well, we will encourage them to build an integrated industry in Timika. So, there will be no more deliverance to the outside Timika,” the head of Mimika Forestry department Mimika Syahrial told Antara in Timika on Monday (04/06/2015).
He further said there were two logging companies operating in Mimika namely PT Dia Diani Timber in Jera district, Mimika and PT Alas Tirta Kencana (ATK) in Kapiraya district, Central West Mimika that will expire in 2016.
One of the new timber company, PT Mutiara Alas Katulistiwa has got a license from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya to manage potential timber in Potowayburu district, West Mimika. The company plans to begin its operation in 2016.
Besides, the three timber companies, there is one company that holds the concession, that is PT. Pusaka Agro Lestari which is involved in oil palm plantation investment in Mimika.
The company, PT Pusaka Agro Lestari has one other company, PT Reksatama that in charge of logging and land clearing of more than 28 thousand hectares for oil palm plantation.
The two logging companies have long operated in Mimika, namely PT DDT and PT ATK did not build a wood processing industry in the area of operation.
According to the data of forestry department in Mimika, the forest area in the region is now an area of 2.1 million hectares of protected forest area covering an area of 500 thousand hectares, Lorentz National Park area of 800 thousand hectares, and forest production of approximately 800 thousand hectares.
All the logging companies and plantation concession are operating in timber production forests. (*/Tina)