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The failure of the government to fully implement the Timber Re\u00adsources Manage\u00adment (Legality Licensing) Regulation, which came into force in 2017, is put\u00adting the country\u2019s timber trade at risk, Forest Watch Ghana (FWG) has warned.<\/p>\n
The FWG further warned that the country risk losing European Union (EU) timber market due to the government\u2019s slow pace in implementing key regulations.<\/p>\n
FWG is a coalition of over 40 civil society organisations and individuals advocating for the rights of forest-dependent com\u00admunities in Ghana. Established in 2002 and officially launched in 2004, FWG has played a pivotal role in policy reform and gover\u00adnance in the forestry sector.<\/p>\n
Briefing journalists in Accra yesterday, a Member, FWG, Ms Doreen Asumang-Yaboah, stated that Ghana and the EU signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) in 2009, a deal designed to promote the sustainable manage\u00adment of timber resources.<\/p>\n
She said the agreement was ratified by Parliament, becoming law to regulate the production and export of legal timber.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the core require\u00adments of this law is that timber can only be logged with a legal permit issued by the Forestry Commission, in line with Parlia\u00adment\u2019s ratification, however, years later, the implementation of these rules remains incomplete,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n
In 2014, Ghana and the EU conducted a joint assessment to evaluate Ghana\u2019s readiness to export legal timber,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n
She said the findings were con\u00adcerning: 148 permits and leases needed ratification by Parliament to meet legal standards, \u201cYet, as of July 2024, only 11 of these permits have been rati\u00adfied.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that while the ratification of these 11 permits was a positive step, it is far from enough.<\/p>\n
Ms Asumang-Yaboah com\u00admended the efforts of the Par\u00adliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Forestry Commission.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the fact that 137 per\u00admits are still pending, ratification suggests that the government is not fully committed to sustainable forest management,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She then called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resourc\u00ades, the Forestry Commission, and Parliament to act urgently. She urged the ratification of the remaining permits by the end of 2024, noting that without this, Ghana risks losing access to the EU market for legal timber.<\/p>\n
This, she indicated, could have serious consequences for both the economy and the country\u2019s repu\u00adtation in international trade.<\/p>\n
She also stressed the impor\u00adtance of the government devel\u00adoping a clear roadmap for the full implementation of sustainable forest management laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cIllegal logging is increasingly becoming a problem, and the delay in enforcing these laws are allowing destructive activity to continue unchecked, If the government does not take swift action, Ghana\u2019s forest reserves, already under threat from illegal mining, could face further damage from illegal logging,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Ms Asumang-Yaboah further reiterated the willingness of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to support the government in protecting the country\u2019s forest resources.<\/p>\n
She noted that collaboration between the government and CSOs was essential to ensuring the success of the VPA and preserving the future of Ghana\u2019s timber trade.<\/p>\n
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