Nadya Natahadibrata, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Fri, December 20 2013, 8:33 AM

The newly established Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) agency is set to continue the success of its predecessor.

In September, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a presidential decree on the establishment of the agency to take over the duties of the REDD+ task force.

The task force was formed in 2010, as part of the government’s commitment to reduce emissions by 26 percent by 2020.

The new agency will continue some of the programs deemed successful.

Programs include the one map initiative and the implementation of the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system to monitor carbon flux and estimate the size of carbon reservoirs.

Kuntoro Mangkusubroto from the Presidential Working Unit for Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4) said that over the past two years, the REDD+ task force had successfully piloted its work in Central Kalimantan.

The province now has a comprehensive map, which clearly demarcates boundaries and land ownership, and an environment information center.

“The success in this province will soon be followed in nine other provinces,” Kuntoro said during a press conference on Thursday.

The other provinces included East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Jambi, Papua and West Papua.

On Thursday, the now defunct REDD+ task force handed over program documents and reports to several ministries, institutions and regional administrations, including the Forestry and Environment Ministries; National Development Planning Board (Bappenas); Geospatial Information Agency (BIG); the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN); and the Central Kalimantan administration.

“We are obliged to report our activities to these institutions, even though a lot of questions remain unanswered, which of course will challenge the new agency,” said Kuntoro chair of the now defunct task force.

Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Stig Traavik said the task force had only spent a little of the grant that was promised but the results had been satisfying.

“Of the US$1 billion dollars that we promised, between 4 or 5 percent has been spent, so 95 percent remains for the years to come. We are very happy about the creation of the agency, the moratorium and the developments in Central Kalimantan,” Traavik said.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas, however, warned that the newly established agency would face tough challenges due to the government’s weak monitoring of the forestry sector.

Busyro said that KPK data showed that 89 percent of the total 128 million hectares of forest in the country had no regulation or permit.

“Due to the sector’s weak monitoring, the state will potentially suffer Rp 35 trillion [$2.9 billion] in losses each year from illegal logging. The state will also potentially suffer Rp 15.9 trillion losses in non-tax state income [PNBP] per year, due to weak use permit monitoring,” Busyro said.

Busyro said the KPK expected to work with the new agency to combat corruption in the forestry sector.

Kuntoro said that Yudhoyono had appointed a chairman for the agency, but declined to elaborate.