Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stressed that Indonesia is serious about handling the damage to the countrys peatland, as is clear from the setting up of a peatland restoration agency.

"We can convince the international community that we are serious, very serious about handling the damage to the peatland," he said while announcing the setting up of the peatland restoration agency at the Merdeka Palace here on Wednesday.

Land and forest fires, which affected several provinces in Indonesia last year, serves as a valuable lesson for President Jokowis administration.

In this regard, he set up the agency under presidential regulation number 1 of 2016.

"I want to announce the creation of peatland restoration body through a presidential regulation I signed early this month," he said.

On the occasion, Jokowi also introduced Nazir Foead as the agencys chief.

The president assigned the body to draft an action plan immediately to show to the world that Indonesia is serious about handling the damage to peatland.

For the umpteenth time, the president stressed that the nation must learn a lesson from last years land and forest fires in several parts of the country.

"Although these (land and forest fires) have happened repeatedly in the past 18 years, they serve as a valuable lesson," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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