Timber and Wood industry players without the Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) license would not be able to export their products to the European Union (EU) market after June 30, this year, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh C. A. Brown, has cautioned.
Also industry players operating domestically would also be required to obtain a Domestic Timber Inspection Certificate (DOTIC) license by the same time before they can operate.
FLEGT license is a voluntary partnership agreement between Ghana and the EU signed in 2009 which seeks to ensure that timber and wood products exported to the EU from Ghana are legally compliant.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Forestry Commission in Accra with stakeholders on the implementation of the FLEGT licensing and the role of the players in ensuring a smooth transition, Dr Brown said the FLEGT agreement was to ensure that timber and wood products exported to the EU from Ghana were legal.
He said the only way to ensure compliance was through the issuance of the FLEGT license.
Dr Brown indicated that the smooth rollout of the FLEGT guidelines would ensure that illegal logging was curtailed to enable key stakeholders or owners of the resource get their share.
He said through this, deforestation would also be reduced to the minimum when illegal logging is brought under control in the country.
The CEO also hinted that there would be increase in revenue collection since every wood harvested would be subjected to the FLEGT guidelines.
To this end, he called on industry players to ensure total compliance with the rules and regulations of FLEGT to ensure a smooth running of their businesses.
The Acting Executive Director, Timber Industry Development Division of the Forestry Commission, Dr Richard Gyimah said under the FLEGT, laws and regulations that guided timber harvesting would be followed strictly.
He also spoke about the guidelines on transportation of the timber, milling at the saw mills, the domestic and international trading and the exportation process.
Dr Gyimah noted that industry players would have to show the source of their timber before they would be issued with FLEGT license.
The President of the Ghana Timber Association, Mr Alexander Kinsgfred Dadzie, on his part said their members were aware and welcomed the FLEGT licensing guidelines.
He however reiterated the associations concerns with the absence of a number of committees’ nonexistence and communication challenges prior to the implementation of the FLEGT.
Timber and Wood industry players without the Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) license would not be able to export their products to the European Union (EU) market after June 30, this year, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh C. A. Brown, has cautioned.
Also industry players operating domestically would also be required to obtain a Domestic Timber Inspection Certificate (DOTIC) license by the same time before they can operate.
FLEGT license is a voluntary partnership agreement between Ghana and the EU signed in 2009 which seeks to ensure that timber and wood products exported to the EU from Ghana are legally compliant.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Forestry Commission in Accra with stakeholders on the implementation of the FLEGT licensing and the role of the players in ensuring a smooth transition, Dr Brown said the FLEGT agreement was to ensure that timber and wood products exported to the EU from Ghana were legal.
He said the only way to ensure compliance was through the issuance of the FLEGT license.
Dr Brown indicated that the smooth rollout of the FLEGT guidelines would ensure that illegal logging was curtailed to enable key stakeholders or owners of the resource get their share.
He said through this, deforestation would also be reduced to the minimum when illegal logging is brought under control in the country.
The CEO also hinted that there would be increase in revenue collection since every wood harvested would be subjected to the FLEGT guidelines.
To this end, he called on industry players to ensure total compliance with the rules and regulations of FLEGT to ensure a smooth running of their businesses.
The Acting Executive Director, Timber Industry Development Division of the Forestry Commission, Dr Richard Gyimah said under the FLEGT, laws and regulations that guided timber harvesting would be followed strictly.
He also spoke about the guidelines on transportation of the timber, milling at the saw mills, the domestic and international trading and the exportation process.
Dr Gyimah noted that industry players would have to show the source of their timber before they would be issued with FLEGT license.
The President of the Ghana Timber Association, Mr Alexander Kinsgfred Dadzie, on his part said their members were aware and welcomed the FLEGT licensing guidelines.
He however reiterated the associations concerns with the absence of a number of committees’ nonexistence and communication challenges prior to the implementation of the FLEGT.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
The post Timber exporters without FLEGT license can’t access EU market – Dr Brown appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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