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One of the most common ways to conduct illegal logging is to
obtain a permit by bribing an official responsible for issuing
permits. This can take place in three ways: a) by paying a stan-
dard commission – a fixed price for a permit paid directly to an
official, for example US$ 25,000 for a permit to cut 17 km2 of
forest; b) by paying a percentage of the value of goods extracted
or the value of the permit. A common price in Indonesia, for
example, is 10–40 per cent of the value of the deal, much low-
er than for obtaining a permit; or c) by paying high prices for
other services or goods, such as housing, vehicles, gas or other.
For obtaining a logging permit, the most common form of brib-
ery is a direct price. For local officers, a commission based on a
percentage or price per truck or tonne transported is also com-
mon. Hence, the bribery may indeed be part of a well-organized
scheme of incomes for everyone from local officers to officials
high up in the bureaucracy.
Controlling bribery is difficult and is compounded by the fact
that permit or concession areas are not always accurately delin-
eated and detailed maps are not available. With several hundred
logging companies active in one area, independent control is
very difficult without standardized central filing systems. In-
deed, a possible controlling body would not only have to con-
trol a high number of different permits from various offices,
it would have to be cross-checked with re-issued permits, and
verified in the field for exact areas of each operation and extract-
ed volumes. This is further complicated by the fact that there
may be several authorities and landowners or users involved
and a decentralized government structure with unclear jurisdic-
tions. Hence even if a case is followed through in an attempt to
prosecute, there may be major challenges in proving intent and
guilt. Surprisingly, some licensing schemes and trade agree-
ments request drawing and marking of individual stumps, re-
flecting little understanding of the situation on the ground in
these tropical regions and conflict zones (UNEP 2010).
OBTAINING PERMITS
THROUGH BRIBES
#6