KUCHING: The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) on Monday (Oct 6) recorded strong participation at the second session of its 2025 Industry Update Programme.
It was held here to brief stakeholders on major regulatory changes for the timber sector.
The programme follows the successful first session held in April and will continue its roadshow in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri on Oct 22, 23 and 24, respectively.
“A key focus of the sessions is the implementation of the new Sarawak Timber Industry (Licensing) Regulations, 2025, which were approved by the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) in March and gazetted on Sept 3 this year.
“The updated regulations represent a significant revision to the STIDC Ordinance, which was amended by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly in November 2022 and came into effect on June 1, 2023,” it said in a statement.
STIDC added that under the new framework, the previous registration certificate system has been replaced with the Timber Industry Licence (TIL), covering activities such as local trading, exporting, importing and manufacturing.
“In addition, the power to issue sawmill licences has been officially transferred to STIDC, streamlining regulatory functions between the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) and STIDC.
“Through this change, the Forest Department will focus on forest management, while STIDC will concentrate on driving the development of Sarawak’s timber industry,” it added.
During the Industry Update sessions, participants are being briefed on licensing terms, application procedures, fees, penalties for non-compliance, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the issuance of TILs. New policies, including the issuance of Temporary Permits and the establishment of mills within Licensed Planted Forest (LPF) areas, are also being introduced.
