Urges To Remove Ministers Of Transportation And Evaluate Ministers Strengthening Due To Flood-Longsor Disasters In Sumatra

The chairman of Exponent 08, M. Damar considered that forestry licensing was allegedly issued without a comprehensive study. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA The insistence that the Minister of Forestry of Raja Juli Antoni be replaced immediately strengthens, along with the alleged irregularities in forestry licensing which are said to have contributed to major disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Apart from being considered a matter of environmental governance, a number of parties assess that this polemic also has an impact on the economic stability of the affected region.

The chairman of Exponent 08, M. Damar, assessed that forestry licensing allegedly issued without a comprehensive study had triggered forest damage which then had an impact on high-cost disasters for the state.

According to him, economic losses due to flash floods and landslides in Sumatra reached significant numbers, ranging from damage to public infrastructure, the loss of residents' residences, to the cessation of economic activity in a number of sectors.

Due to unobserved licensing, thousands of houses sank and the economic activity of the community was paralyzed. Economic losses are estimated to reach hundreds of billions. The government needs to immediately evaluate the leadership of the relevant ministries so that forest governance is again directed," he said in a written statement received by VOI, Sunday, December 7.

Damar said that the failure to monitor the practice of forest area logging and management has increased the risk of disasters, which in turn reduces regional productivity and disrupts investment stability. Uncertainty in land management, according to him, has the potential to reduce investor interest in the plantation, forestry, and infrastructure sectors that depend on certainty of land use.

"Poor forest management is not only a matter of the environment, but also concerns regional economic resilience. This forest damage triggers prolonged economic losses," he said.

He also asked President Prabowo Subianto to evaluate ministers who were considered to have performance directly related to the disaster.

According to him, accelerating evaluation is needed to maintain the effectiveness of development programs and ensure policy stability that supports national economic growth targets.

By affirming the importance of government consistency in improving natural resource governance, considering that this sector plays a strategic role in the national economy, starting from energy security, food, to contributing to GDP.

By affirming the importance of government consistency in improving natural resource governance, considering that this sector plays a strategic role in the national economy, starting from energy security, food, to contributing to GDP.

"Complete evaluation of presidential aides is very important so that development programs are not disrupted. The ministry's performance must be in line with the direction of President's economic policy," said Damar.