Minister Orders Withdrawal Of License

The Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Mrs Esther Obeng Dapaah has instructed the Forestry Commission to revoke the timber harvesting license of Royal Vissage Ghana Limited. She said the company was illegally harvesting timber from the Bomfi Biri wild life sanctuary in the Eastern Region. She stressed that the activities of the company were destroying the forest, adding that the granting of timber rights to Vissage was not legally justifiable. Speaking to newsmen, Mrs Dapaah said that the findings of a five-member committee set up to look into issues relating the forestry sector had observed that the staff of the company were not competent enough to be allowed to harvest forest products in the country. She noted that it was worrying that the processing and submission of application as well as the granting of timber harvesting rights was done in a haphazard manner at the Forestry Commission. Mrs Dapaah noted that the committee also found out that the ministry failed to adequately supervise the Forestry Commission relative to the granting of timber harvesting rights as prescribed by the Section 3 of the Forestry Commission Act of 1999, Act 571. Granting of timber harvesting rights in protected areas, she emphasised was not permissible. Meanwhile a four-member committee has been set up to supervise and auction logs felled by Vissage within two weeks. The proceeds will be used to repair the damage caused by the illegal activities of the company in sanctuary.