RI To Learn From Czech Environment Service System

Jakarta, May 17 (Antara) - The Indonesian government will learn a lesson from the environmental services payment system of Czech which has set up the State Environmental Fund since 1991, a cabinet minister said. "We hope we can learn a lesson from Czech`s Payment for Environmental Services (PES) system and take it as a reference model in handling environmental issues," Indonesia`s Minister of Environment Balthasar Kambuaya said this week. The fund which was established by Czech had the task of managing subsidy, loan and environment recovery funds. The funds are collected from payment for environment services and levies on air and water contamination. This model is very useful in managing the environment which is facing increasingly complex problems. "The experience of the Czech government in establishing an environmental fund inspires us in managing emergency environment issues such as oil spills, hazardous wastes and soft loan on environment investment," added Balthasar. He cited as an example of the problem of floods in Jakarta that would be settled through cooperation with payment for environmental fund system with the regional government. The Indonesian environment minister has held a meeting with Minister of Environment of the Republic of Czech Tomas Chalupa here on Wednesday. The meeting was part of the Czech`s minister of environment`s visit in Indonesia for six days from May 12 to May 17, 2013.