Jakarta – Anticorruption activists from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) have called on the Environment and Forestry Ministry to limit the conversion of forests into other purposes amid rampant violations of permits issued by local administrations.

ICW researcher Emerson Yuntho said the current system of land conversion permits has opened the way for regional heads to be bribed by businesspeople to allow the opening forested areas.

He cited that the ministry has recorded Rp 273 trillion in state losses for converting 7 million hectares of forested areas in 2012.

"[Regional heads] have violated their authority to open forested areas with poor supervision from the central government," said Emerson on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co.

He suspected that the bribe money received by the regional heads might be used to support their political parties.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/24/ministry-must-limit-land-conversion-icw.html