Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has pointed out that 79% of the ministry’s programs in 2020 are directly linked to reaching key targets of national program priorities.
The minister emphasized the decisive role played by the ministry in achieving national priority targets in the fields of human development and poverty alleviation through equitable access to land for local and indigenous communities.
As part of this role, she continued, the acceleration and expansion of land reforms, and the strengthening of social forestry and community-based timber plantation programs, are still among the major priorities for 2020.
“More than half of the ministry’s budget in 2020 has been allocated to cover efforts in accelerating the realization of 79% of the national program priorities next year,” Minister Nurbaya explained in a discussion with foresthints.news (Nov 15) at the ministry building.
Minister Nurbaya went on to stress the significant extent to which the ministry is involved in achieving national priority targets in the fields of food security, water and energy, as well as environmental quality improvement.
“The acceleration and expansion of land provision in support of food and energy security are also top priorities, including the protection of water catchment areas,” she said.
The following photos show Minister Nurbaya’s recent visit to the Central Java city of Tegal (Nov 16), during which she observed first-hand the progress of the community economic empowerment program through the introduction of a new species (Macadamia) which functions ecologically to support the protection of water catchment areas.
The minister elaborated on the role played by the President, saying: “The innovation of alternative species for the protection of these water catchment areas by using a new plant species with very high economic value came directly from President Jokowi. This is a practice that should be adopted in other suitable areas.”
“The prevention of land and forest fires and restoration of peatlands are also among our specific priorities for next year. Furthermore, law enforcement efforts will continue to be carried out as intensively as in recent years,” the minister asserted.
Minister Nurbaya previously described how the finalization of a carbon credit and trade scheme is one of her main priorities, in line with an order she received from President Joko Widodo, as the authorized minister in expediting this innovative financing mechanism, as reported earlier by foresthints.news (Nov 14).
National economic priorities
Minister Nurbaya added that the ministry also plays an important role in supporting national priorities in strengthening the national economy and boosting sustainable investment and exports, including through the deregulation of licenses, granting of incentives and enhancement of legal certainty.
“Of course, by continuing to calculate and monitor measures related to sustainability levels in the process of accelerating the achievement of national priorities, our aim remains to obtain a better quality of economic growth in the next five years,” she confirmed.
The minister also elaborated on how the ministry’s role is significantly linked to the achievement of national priority targets in terms of creating added value in the real sector, fostering industrialization and increasing employment opportunities.
“Sustainable land-based investments and the development of infrastructure for communities are among our foremost national priorities,” she affirmed.
“The relocation of the capital is clearly one of our highest-ranking priorities at present. This pertains especially to ensuring sustainable development for the new capital, including the availability of adequate land and relevant supporting resources in the long run,” Minister Nurbaya concluded.
