Plans to Amend Criminal Provisions in the Revised Forestry Law

The government plans to consolidate criminal provisions in the Draft Bill on the Amendment to Law No. 41 of 1999 on Forestry, as amended several times, most recently by Regulation of the Government in Lieu of Law No. 2 of 2022 on Job Creation (collectively referred to as “Law 41/1999”).

“Law No. 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction (“Law 18/2013”) is accommodated in that article. This is a follow-up to Article 50 in conjunction with Article 78 of Law 41/1999,” said Darori Wonodipuro, a member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (“DPR RI”), to Hukumonline.

The regulation stipulates that any person granted a business license for the utilization of forest areas, environmental services, timber and non-timber forest products, as well as the collection of timber and non-timber forest products, is prohibited from engaging in activities that cause forest destruction.

The purpose of merging the provisions is to enhance effectiveness. “So, violations in the forestry sector, we have consolidated the relevant provisions,” he added.