On Wednesday (13/05), Indonesian President Joko Widodo showed his commitment to protect Indonesia’s biodiversity-rich environment as he extended the moratorium on the clearing of primary forest and peat-land by another two years. This moratorium, which had been first implemented by Widodo’s predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in May 2011, aims to combat rapid deforestation in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will study how it can further strengthen the moratorium.

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Stakeholders in Indonesia's pulp and paper industry are concerned about the future of this industry after Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry suspended the operational activities of Indonesia's second-largest timber company, Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), through a decree. RAPP is a unit of global pulp and paper industry giant Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL). Meanwhile, APRIL is a unit of Singapore-based Royal Golden Eagle.

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