KUCHING: The overlapping of execution and jurisdiction of duties among forestry management agencies will soon be a thing of the past following the introduction of the Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Performance of Forestry Functions.
Datu Len Talif Salleh
Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Planning and Resource Management Datu Len Talif Salleh said the SOP would enhance the performance of the forestry agencies.
Len Talif, who is also State Forests director, emphasised that the SOP was also aimed at establishing clear roles and responsibilities of various agencies, thus eliminating overlapping duties between them.
“The Inter-Agency SOP will definitely enhance the existing system for forestry management agencies as we standardise, streamline and improve the work flow, while at the same time enhance operational cost effectiveness.
“This will also maintain the element of check and balance for performance of forestry functions or operations in Sarawak,” he said in a press release issued by Sarawak Forestry Corporation yesterday.
Len Talif, who is also managing director and chief executive officer of Sarawak Forestry, mentioned these in his text-of-speech at the closing of the Inter-Agency SOP Training on Control of Log Movement, held in Miri recently.
His speech was read by Sarawak Forestry general manager (Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation unit) Wilfred Landong.
Len Talif also said he was pleased to see that the training was well attended by officers from both Sarawak Forestry and Harwood Timber Sdn Bhd.
“It is my fervent hope that this training will be the foundation for us to develop a positive working environment with other agencies and gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of our responsibilities” he said.
Len Talif added that upon completion of the training of ‘Control of Log Movement’, officers from Harwood Timber would be assigned for a month attachment to the Sarawak Forestry.
He pointed out that this was to prepare the officers for the official handing over of duties of the physical checking of forest produce prior to the issuance of Transit Removal Pass (TRP) and incoming shipment of Harwood Timber, which will take effect from September 1 this year.
The training on ‘Control of Log Movement’ was organised by Harwood Timber in collaboration with Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
The inter agency SOP for performance of forestry functions in Sarawak has been implemented since January this year to streamline the forestry functions in Sarawak.
The forestry management agencies involved in implementing the Inter-Agency SOP for Performance of Forestry Functions in Sarawak are the Forest Department Sarawak, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Sarawak Timber Industry Develop-ment Corporation and Harwood Timber Sdn Bhd.
On the ‘Control of Log Movement’ series of training, it had been conducted in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri from July 21 to 27, 2010.