In the past quarter, EC-Indonesia FLEGT Support Project has worked together with local Forestry Offices to launch three Forestry Information Centres within the project’s working regions in Jambi and West Kalimantan.

Local Forestry Information Centre (Pusinfo) is one of the major outputs of the project to support government in promoting good governance in forestry sector. Forestry Informatio Centre is established in order to serve varied needs for free and accessible information to all stakeholders, from government officials, private sector, or civil society.

Until today, there have been several Information Centres established, three in Jambi and two in West Kalimantan. In Jambi Province, Information Centres were founded in Jambi City, Muaro Jambi District and the latest one in Sarolangun District. Tebo District, Batang Hari District, and Tanjung Jabung Timur District shall follow suit.

Meanwhile, Forestry Information Centre of Jambi Province has been stipulated as a Local Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) and named Forestry Information Service Office (Balai Pelayanan Infomasi Kehutanan/BPIK) by Governor of Jambi Regulation Number 17 Year 2009 dated 24 April 2009.

In West Kalimantan Province, two  Information Centres have been founded in Pontianak City and Sintang District. Both were officially launched last February.

Information Transparency

As an application to good governance principles, the process of developing Information Centres has undergone a series of long process of deliberations, discussions and road shows. These aim at building mutual understanding amongst stakeholders by bring them together for multi-party public consultations and workshops, including limited formal and informal discussions, at district and province levels.

The first Information Centre launched in the past three months in the Forestry Information Centre at Sarolangun District, inaugurated by the Regent of Sarolangun District, H. Hasan Basri Agus (23/12/2009).

During his remarks, Regent H. Hasan Basri Agus expressed his hopes that the society would take a benefit of the existence of Information Centre as source of comprehensive, fast and trusted data and information about the conditions of forests in Sarolangun District.

Therefore, public is expected to support various forestry policies in Sarolangun District. These include policies to maintain and sustain upstream areas as water catchment area because it has always been the source of livelihood for general communities in Sarolangun District.

Another government policy to turn existing production forest into protection forest to preserve its sustainability, in addition to community base forest management through Community Plantation Forest (HTR) that the permit has been issued.

These policies are eventually aimed at improving the welfare of Sarolangun people.

Lastly, the Regent also reminded that the Information Centre belongs to the people of Sarolangun. He expressed his support the institutional of the Information Centre in the administration of Sarolangun District and budget support to be aligned with the Local Budget (APBD).

Realizing the Mandate of Law No. 14

The first Information Centre launched in West Kalimantan Province is the Province level Province Information Centre in Pontianak, which is built by Forestry Office of West Kalimantan Province and facilitated by EC-FLEGT Support Project. The Information Centre was opened by Assistant II of West Kalimantan Province Secretariat in Pontianak (18/02/2010).

The event was followed with a public dialogue about forestry information transparency, which was attended by around 150 participants from local institutions, NGOs, universities, and mass media.

Information Centre in West Kalimantan, according to Assistant II, is established with the spirit of realizing the demand for information transparency to the public. It means that public in general have the right to know or access all information related to the process and the result of development in every sector that the government undertakes.

It is in line with Law Number 14 concerning Public Information Transparency (KIP) which gives a mandate to all government institutions to applying the substances of this law in 2010.

Public is expected to take the fullest advantage of the Forestry Information Centre of West Kalimantan Province, in line with its goals of establishment. These goals include ensuring public’s rights to obtain information of the plan and the program including the implementation of forest management; promoting public participation in forest resources management process; realizing good, transparent, accountable, efficient and effective governance; and improving the quality of public information.

Furthermore, the Assistant II reminded that the Forestry Information Centre needs to be managed professionally with competent staff, sufficient support of operational facilities and budget to ensuring its sustainability.

And as its counterpart in Jambi, the Information Centre in West Kalimantan Province is expected to be promoted to a Technical Implementation Unit as mandated by article 13 UU No. 14 concerning KIP.