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Exploding Cigarette Not Ours: Bentoel

We would like to make clarifications to two recent articles in the Globe: “Bekasi Police Probe Centers on ‘Cigarette Blast’ ” (Jan. 31) and “Exploding Cigarette Earns Hurt Indonesian Rp 5 million” (Feb. 1).

This is to inform that the brands mentioned in the articles are not produced by the Bentoel Group.

Bentoel Group is a member of British American Tobacco Group and currently produces the following brands: Bentoel Biru, Bentoel Sejati, Joged Super, Club Mild, Star Mild, Prinsip, Country, X-Mild, Rawit Special, Tali Jagat Filter, Tali Jagat Raya, One Mild, Bintang Buana Raya, Bintang Buana Filter, Neo Mild, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Benson & Hedges, Ardath, Kansas, Commfil, Commodore and Mars Brand.

Satrija BW
Head of public affairs, Bentoel Group

Use Tax in Jakarta’s War On Plastic Bags

Regarding the article “Push On for End to Plastic Bags in Jakarta” (Feb. 8), I would like to offer congratulations to Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo for taking a much-needed step in the right direction.

Getting Jakarta’s retail industry and traditional markets to reduce plastic bag use is the right approach. Making available alternatives to plastic bags for shoppers at the point of sale is also an important step.

However, these efforts alone will not succeed without a concerted campaign directed at consumers.

One way to discourage plastic bag use is by introducing a tax on plastic bags. The most successful example of this is Ireland’s plastic bag tax, which succeeded in reducing plastic bag use by 90 percent per annum, and the 15 cent fee collected at the check-out was used to establish a $9.6 million fund for the environment. Imagine what Indonesia could do with those funds if it introduced such a tax.

Studies have shown that the so-called “free” plastic bags come with a high price that must be borne by the community. First, the retailer incorporates the cost of the bag into the cost of the goods we purchase. Second, costs of disposing the plastic bag, which can last for up to a thousand years in the environment, must be carried by the whole community. This is evident in Jakarta where dangerous and damaging floods are a regular occurrence due to blockages caused by plastic waste in the waterways and rivers. Last, carbon emissions generated during plastic bag production contribute to Indonesia’s title as the third largest carbon emitter in the world.

Our Bali-based nonprofit campaign, Say No to Plastic! ( Bali Cantik Tanpa Plastik ), has recently begun working with Hypermart, Indonesia’s second largest retailer, to reduce plastic bag consumption at their Bali Galeria Mall store. In its first month, we succeeded in a 50 percent reduction in the volume of plastic bags used, representing around one ton of plastic that did not enter landfill. We estimate that Bali produces 750 tons of plastic waste each day, so there is still a long way to go.

We encourage a consumer levy on plastic bags, as well as a government tax on plastic. We also work with communities on plastic waste reduction and prevention. This is a good model that could be adopted by retailers and community organizations across Jakarta.

Alex Ryan
Steering committee chair, Say No to Plastic, Ubud, Bali

Illegal Logging and The Money Jungle

I write in reference to the article “KPK Urged to Fight Graft Surrounding Indonesia’s Forests” (Feb. 5).

For more years than I care to remember, the words “illegal logging” have been inextricably linked to Indonesia. Not immediately obvious to the casual observer is the fact that the European Community/European Union and the British government are part of this problem. Further compounding this environmental and public relations disaster is the matter of tens of millions of euros given to Indonesia by the EC/EU to prevent illegal logging. Perhaps not surprisingly, the EC cannot explain where all this money has gone, much less what good, if any, it has done. There has been no accountability.

The EC is not alone in its carefree attitude to giving away taxpayer money. The British government, in particular, has been throwing its taxpayer money at the Ministry of Forestry for years in the forlorn hope it would halt illegal logging. It has not. What is more, the British government is less than transparent in its own dealings on this subject — after millions of pounds spent, they can claim no victories in forest preservation.

The EC/EU have yet to decide if they want to ban illegal logs from entering their marketplace. The Australian government, no small donor to Indonesia environmental matters, has already taken this step.

By rewarding Indonesia with more money despite an appalling track record in rooting out illegal logging, donor countries are acting recklessly with other peoples’ money as well as fueling graft.

Sean Whyte
Chief executive, Nature Alert, London