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Planted forest programme accelerated

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Awang Tengah (fourth from left) presenting an award to one of the recipients.

MIRI: The state government is committed to efforts of accelerating the planted forest programme to ensure a sustainable supply of forest products in the future.

“The timber industry is a spin-off to various industries, be it down stream or upstream, and we want to ensure the continued contribution of planted forests,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan on Thursday night during Sarawak Forest Department’s (SFD) excellence service awards here.

He said SFD must have a ‘catch-up plan’ to accelerate the programme with licence holders of planted forest (LPF).

“Those LPF holders who are reluctant to cooperate, we will not hesitate to terminate their licence immediately.”

He added that the government wanted to see LPF holders serious and committed to ensuring the implementation of the programme.

“As the state with the most forested area in Malaysia, the Forest Department should intensify its role to protect and preserve the forest, at the same time, efforts to increase the state coffers via ‘Revenue Re- Engineering’ should be looked into rather than solely relying on timber-based revenue.

“New sources of income that we can look into are carbon resources, ecotourism, forest-based health and medicinal products and non-forest timber products.

He stressed that the forest plantation industry played an important role in reducing the dependence on natural forests. 

Therefore, he said, the government was committed in ensuring that the development of forest plantations achieves the set target of one million hectares by 2025.

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