23.3.2 Exploitation of Forest and Peatland in Riau Province
After the Independence
The Japanese occupation and the war for independence slowed down panglong
activities, which picked up again in the 1950s.
At the beginning of the 1970s, selective logging concessions (Hak Pengusahaan
Hutan, HPH), stipulated in the Basic Forestry Act of 1967, were granted to a large
number of private companies for large tracts of land, particularly on the outer
islands. A lot of the peat swamp forests were subjected to HPH apart from the
panglong businesses. Regulations of HPH businesses stipulate only on controlling
logging concessions in the forest’s planning and management and its exploitation,
including measuring of trees and experimenting with planting systems, as well as
paying taxes, such as Iuran Hak Pengusahaan Hutan and Iuran Hasil Hutan. On the
other hand, panglong regulations such as the Panglong Reglement of 1923
5 also
controlled labor recruitment, labor conditions, and labor protection.
An industrial tree plantation concession (Hak Pengusahaan Hutan Tanaman
Industri, HPHTI) was granted starting in the 1970s, resulting in the development
of forest plantations of Acacium mangium and other tree species in the 1980s. As oil
palm cultivation became large scale, the long-term business usufructuary right (Hak
Guna Usaha, HGU) started to be granted with the acceptance of requests from
private businesses to convert state-controlled forests into agricultural land.
In Riau Province, for example, which has a total area of 9.45 million ha, logging
concessions were issued for 5.35 million ha by 1994, during which time there were
32 sawmills and 18 plywood factories. However, forest resources had significantly
declined in the early 2000s, so forests covered by logging concessions were reduced.
In 2002, 3.21 million ha of forest were assigned to logging concessions, during
which time there were 14 sawmills and six plywood factories.
6
On the other hand, although industrial tree plantation concessions have been
issued since the 1970s, the area covered by such concessions has rapidly increased
since the 1990s. The industrial tree plantation concession area in Riau in 1994 was
269,000 ha, which increased to 873,000 ha by 2003.
7 This was due to an increased
afforestation of acacia trees to supply the pulp industry, which significantly
increased production during that period.
5 Reglement voor de houtzagerijen, houtaankappen, en houtskool branderijen in de afdeeling
Bengkalis van het gewest Oostkust van Sumatra, de onderafdeelingen Lingga, Karimon en
Tandjoeng Pinang van de afdeeling Tandjoeng Pinang van het gewest Riouw en Onderhoorigheden
en de onderafdeeling Djambi van gelijknamige afdeeling van het gewest van dien naam
(Panglongreglement) (Staatsblad van Nederlandsch-Indië 1923 No. 220).
6 Annual issues of Badan Pusat Statistik, Statistik Perusahaan Hak Pengusahaan Hutan, Jakarta;
Badan Pusat Statistik.
7 Annual issues of Badan Pusat Statistik, Statistik Hak Tanaman Industri, Jakarta; Badan Puat
Statistik.
638
K. Mizuno et al.
After the Independence
The Japanese occupation and the war for independence slowed down panglong
activities, which picked up again in the 1950s.
At the beginning of the 1970s, selective logging concessions (Hak Pengusahaan
Hutan, HPH), stipulated in the Basic Forestry Act of 1967, were granted to a large
number of private companies for large tracts of land, particularly on the outer
islands. A lot of the peat swamp forests were subjected to HPH apart from the
panglong businesses. Regulations of HPH businesses stipulate only on controlling
logging concessions in the forest’s planning and management and its exploitation,
including measuring of trees and experimenting with planting systems, as well as
paying taxes, such as Iuran Hak Pengusahaan Hutan and Iuran Hasil Hutan. On the
other hand, panglong regulations such as the Panglong Reglement of 1923
5 also
controlled labor recruitment, labor conditions, and labor protection.
An industrial tree plantation concession (Hak Pengusahaan Hutan Tanaman
Industri, HPHTI) was granted starting in the 1970s, resulting in the development
of forest plantations of Acacium mangium and other tree species in the 1980s. As oil
palm cultivation became large scale, the long-term business usufructuary right (Hak
Guna Usaha, HGU) started to be granted with the acceptance of requests from
private businesses to convert state-controlled forests into agricultural land.
In Riau Province, for example, which has a total area of 9.45 million ha, logging
concessions were issued for 5.35 million ha by 1994, during which time there were
32 sawmills and 18 plywood factories. However, forest resources had significantly
declined in the early 2000s, so forests covered by logging concessions were reduced.
In 2002, 3.21 million ha of forest were assigned to logging concessions, during
which time there were 14 sawmills and six plywood factories.
6
On the other hand, although industrial tree plantation concessions have been
issued since the 1970s, the area covered by such concessions has rapidly increased
since the 1990s. The industrial tree plantation concession area in Riau in 1994 was
269,000 ha, which increased to 873,000 ha by 2003.
7 This was due to an increased
afforestation of acacia trees to supply the pulp industry, which significantly
increased production during that period.
5 Reglement voor de houtzagerijen, houtaankappen, en houtskool branderijen in de afdeeling
Bengkalis van het gewest Oostkust van Sumatra, de onderafdeelingen Lingga, Karimon en
Tandjoeng Pinang van de afdeeling Tandjoeng Pinang van het gewest Riouw en Onderhoorigheden
en de onderafdeeling Djambi van gelijknamige afdeeling van het gewest van dien naam
(Panglongreglement) (Staatsblad van Nederlandsch-Indië 1923 No. 220).
6 Annual issues of Badan Pusat Statistik, Statistik Perusahaan Hak Pengusahaan Hutan, Jakarta;
Badan Pusat Statistik.
7 Annual issues of Badan Pusat Statistik, Statistik Hak Tanaman Industri, Jakarta; Badan Puat
Statistik.
638
K. Mizuno et al.