Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening institutional cooperation, particularly through digital data exchange to improve forest management and optimize state assets for public benefit.
The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Forestry Headquarters in Jakarta. Minister Raja Juli Antoni emphasized that this cooperation aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive under Article 33 of the Indonesian Constitution, which mandates that the management of natural resources must maximize benefits for the people.
“The MoU we signed this afternoon follows President Prabowo’s mandate under Article 33 — forests are part of our national wealth that must be managed to maximize benefits for the people. This agreement brings our institutions closer, fostering collaboration to ensure that the country’s natural wealth is not lost,” said Minister Raja Antoni following the signing ceremony.
One of the key areas covered under the MoU involves Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) from forestry activities. Raja Antoni stated that the government hopes revenue generated from forest utilization will be reinvested into environmental conservation and law enforcement.
“We hope that through this cooperation, revenues from PNBP in our national parks can return to nature — supporting conservation and forest sustainability. The PNBP we collect should flow back to the ecosystem, the local communities, and enforcement agencies,” he added.
Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa highlighted that the MoU establishes a framework for closer coordination and digital data sharing between both ministries to enhance efficiency in forestry revenue management.
“This agreement ensures closer coordination and data exchange between our ministries. It allows us to optimize state revenue in the forestry sector. While previous collaborations existed, there were still operational challenges. With this new understanding, coordination will be more effective,” Purbaya explained.
He also noted the significant potential for increased state income from the forestry sector if managed effectively under this new partnership.
“The potential revenue is huge — it could reach hundreds of trillions if managed properly. We’re still conducting detailed calculations, so I won’t make premature estimates,” Purbaya concluded. (*)
