Benget Besalicto Tnb. ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 09/02/2009 1:12 PM  |  Business

The National Accreditation Committee (KAN) has accredited 15 institutions to certify sustainable forest management, and will maintain the Forest Industry Revitalization Board (BRIK) as the only institution able to certify the legality of wood and wood products.

The 15 institutions would provide the certificates to license holders of forest management units (HPH), production forests (HTI) and community forests (HTR), once their business operations had been scrutinized thoroughly, KAN chairman Bambang Setiadi said.

KAN, which was set up as an independent body under the new system of standardizing and legalizing forest management and production, has been tasked to carry out the accreditation of the issuers of the sustainable forest management certificates.

BRIK, which was established under the old system of standardizing and legalizing forest management and production, was allowed to maintain its function of certifying the legality of woods produced by all forests and used by wood-based industries as raw materials.

The 15 institutions are the UNWIM Foundation, PT Ayamaru Bhakti Pertiwi, Wana Khatulistiwa Jaya, Surveyor Indonesia, Sarbi Moerhani Lestari, Sucofindo, Alma Sentra Konsulindo, Rensa Kerta Mukti, Mutu Agung Lestari, Forestcitra Sejahtera, Nusa Bhakti Mandiri, Andhika Duta Persada, Properindo Jasatama, Equality Indonesia and Multima Krida Cipta.

"The 15 companies and the BRIK will carry out their certifying jobs during a one-year transition period, which ends on Aug. 31, 2010 when the new system will be implemented fully," he said.

Under the new system, an organization called the Institution of Independent Evaluators and Verifiers (LPVI) has been tasked to issue sustainable standardization documents for license holders of forest management units (HPH), production forests (HTI) and community forests (HTR), and provide legal documents for logs and wood products, Forestry Ministry director general of forest product development Hadi Daryanto said.

The new system was introduced on Tuesday, but would have a transition period of one year until Aug. 31, 2010, he said. After the transition, the 15 companies and the BRIK will be replaced by the LPVI.

The new system requires that all the wood industries must have legal documents before they can sell their products on the domestic and international markets.