SURABAYA - The United States has written off Indonesian debts totaling 50 million US in exchange for the conservation of forests in Sumatera and Kalimantan, a US official said here Friday.
"We have forgiven Indonesian debts amounting to 50 million US dollars in favor of a forest conservation program in Indonesia," US Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia Ted Osius said.
He said the funds Indonesia would otherwise have to set aside to pay the debts would be used to conserve forests in Sumatra (30 million US dollars) and in Kalimantan (20 million US dollars).
Therefore, Osius said, he hoped the Indonesian government could make use of the funds to rehabilitate forests that had become critical in recent years. Beforehand, the US government had provided a 500 million US dollar grant for an environmental conservation program in Indonesia to be implemented over the next five years.
"Our government is very concerned about environmental conservation in Indonesia," Osius said at a meeting with environmental and human right activists.
There were six countries, including Indonesia, which were receiving the US government’s serious attention in relation with environmental conservation.
"The US consulate general in Surabaya is responsible for assiating environemmenal conservation in eastern Indonesia," he said.
Despite the environmental conservation program, the US government also paid attention on protection of marine and energy which was based on environment in facing climate change.
"We even support the Indonesian government to be able to explore alternative energy potentials that have yet to be developed," he said.
source : kompas.com
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