REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government is making preparations for the establishment of a peatland restoration agency that will help to implement measures to prevent forest and plantation fires.

"We have discussed the preparations to form a peatland restoration agency," Minister/State Secretary Pratikno stated at the Presidential Staff office here on Monday.

The government wants to ensure that forest fires will not recur, and in this case, the proper management of peatland areas is crucial, according to Pratikno.

"Lest the peatland areas dry up. Therefore, the peatland restoration agency will be set up, the details of which are with the environmental affairs and forestry minister," he noted.

He suggested that the agency would be under the supervision of the environmental affairs and fishery ministry.

The agency needs to be formed as soon as possible to anticipate forest fires.

Vice President Jusuf M. Kalla had recently chaired a meeting on peatland management at his residence.

The meeting, attended by several high-ranking officials, discussed the government's plan to restore peatland areas, according to Husain Abdullah, a spokesman of the vice president.

Environmental Affairs and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Sofyan Djalil, and Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa were among those attending the meeting.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, Chairman of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) Mulyaman Hadad, and Head of the Presidential Staff Teten Masduki were also present during the discussion.

The meeting discussed the plan to set up a peatland restoration agency.

Kalla had earlier remarked that the government would adopt measures to prevent forest fires and to restore the peatland areas burnt during the forest fires last year.

"Both forest fires and burnt peatland areas have to be dealt with simultaneously," Kalla pointed out on October 26, 2015.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan had earlier stated that it would take some three to five years to restore the burnt peatland areas.

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