Jakarta, Nov 11 (ANTARA) - The Forestry Ministry announced on Monday it had revoked 15 timber estate licences, including those belonging to Mohammad (Bob) Hasan and Probosoetedjo. The former was a timber tycoon, now serving a jail sentence in Nusakambangan, and the latter is former president Soeharto's half brother. "They have their licences revoked because technically, their forest consessions are far from those specified by the government," Director General of Forestry Production Development Suhariyanto said. He did not rule out the possibility that among the 15 timber estate owners failed to meet the technical and financial requirements. As long as they could not meet the technical requirements, they would have their permits revoked although from the point of view of their finance they were worth restructuring, he said. Until Nov 5, 2002 the 15 timber estate owners could plant trees on 188,950 hectares out of 989,079 hectares of timber estates specified by the government, he said. In fact, the 15 timber estate owners had received billions of rupiahs through the disbursement of reforestation funds and capital participation from the government, he said. The government had allocated Rp2.4 trillion to a total of 92 timber estate onwers, he said. The 15 timber estate companies having their licences revoked are PT Acehnusa Indrapuri, PT Tusam Hutani Lestari, PT Rimba Wawasan Permai and PT Rimba Timur Sentosa, all in Aceh, PT Adindo Hutani Lestari, PT Kiani Hutani Lestari, PT Surya Hutanai Jaya, PT Intraca Hutani Lestari, and PT Anangga Pundinusa, all in East Kalimantan, PT Menara Hutan Buana (South Kalimantan), PT Wana Tani Lestari (Central Sulawesi), PT Hutan Barumun (North Sumatra), PT Rimba Equator Permai (West Kalimantan), and PT Silva Inhutani Lampung (Lampung). Based on the decree of the Forestry Minister dated Oct 30, 2002, governors will be assigned to take care of the timber estates which have their licences revoked and receive assets from the forestry companies concerned, either movables or immovables. By doing so, the management of timber estates would become better because provincial governments would directly be involved, he said. ANTARA