Illegal Logging in Indonesia

In Indonesia illegal logging is abig problem that has resulted in undermining the rule of law and substantial revenues to the state. It encourages forest crimes, and has serious economic and social implications to the poor and disadvantaged.Indonesia's timber that is stolen from the country's forests finds it way on to the international market either directly or through neighbouring states, especially Malaysia and china where the timber is successfully laundered and sent onto the US, Europe, Japan, Taiwan and Mainland China marketplace.

Governments need to develop new procurement policies that demonstrate timber and wood products have come from legal sources, industry needs to adopt transparent chain of custody processes which allows timber tracking from source to market. Producing countries need to formalise a system of cross border cooperation between national enforcement authorities, and to enact legislation allowing the confiscation of illegal timber and those dealing in it outside the country of origin. These are some of the recommendations that EIA/Telapak see as being essential first steps in combating illegal logging and the trade.