The Forestry Commission is assisting timber industries in Ghana to adhere to laid down regulations in the forestry supply chain.
According to the commission, many timber industries in the country are engaged in illegalities right from the felling of the timber to its exportation.
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Speaking at a sensitization workshop organized by the Nature Development Foundation (NDF), Field Audit Manager at the Forestry Commission, Mustapha Salifu, said rigorous efforts were being made to bring errant timber industry players to book.
About a month ago, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie indicated the commission was going to deploy armed forest guards to ward off encroachers engaged in illegal mining and logging in the country’s forest reserves.
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Following his warning, the commission says, many of these industry players are still engaged in illegalities.
Illegalities, that are perpetrated from the cutting down of the timber through to its exportation. The commission says it will continue to liaise with other players in the industry to sensitize the timber companies on the illegalities that occur along the forestry supply chain and how to make them desist from practices.
Many are of these companies, according to the Field Audit Manager at the forestry commission, Mustapha salifu, who avoid and evade the payment of taxes.
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“These workshops are to whip them in line and to ensure that such errant players comply with the laid down rules. We are creating awareness of what constitutes illegalities. All industry players need to understand and obey the rules,” he stated.
Director of the NDF, Mustapha Seidu, says a lot needs to be done to shore up the capacity of those who have a stake in the timber industry and the Foundation would do more to build their capacity.
“Forestry has changed a lot. People who are engaged in it must not just get up to get into timber production. People have to meet the requirement every step of the way in order for the right things to be done”, he said.
