Streamline Timber Trade to protect Local timber market

 

B y SAMUEL NABWIISO

 Biodiversity Conservationists are appealing to the Government of Uganda to put up strong mechanisms that can help in the fight against the Importation of Illegal Timbers into the Country.

 They urgues that the Importation of Illegal Timbers from the Neighboring countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan is distorting the market for locally produced timber and its wood product's

 David Duli the country Director World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told Environment News Uganda that many forest farmers are not benefitting from their investment because of the market which is flooded with Illegal imported Timbers.

 "Certified Timbers on the market carries premium price which is an asset to the farmers but when the market is flooded with Illegal imported Timbers it lowers the local market price thus discouraging the local people to venture into tree farming “He told ENU.

 According to Duli, Uganda imports  approximately 9000 cubic metrics of high value mahogany and other saw Timbers from DRC and once such Timbers enters Uganda is considered legal this makes  it difficult to regulate the trading of timber into the country.

David Duli of WWF stressing point during the media briefing recently on his Right  Cissy Kagaba of ACCU

 The problem of Illegal entry of Timbers from DRC and Southern Sudan is attributed to weak legal policies in the country that cannot stream lime timber trade , According to the recent study on the gap analysis of the Hindrances to effective Trade in Forest product's in Uganda conducted by WWF and Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU) it was found that the National Forrest and Tree Planting Act of 2003 it mainly focus on Planting, growing and protection of trees  only despite  having  provisions on regulation of harvesting and movement of Forest product's.

 "To our concern the provisions  there in concerning the trade of Forest product's have not been operationalzed as CSO we are appealing to government to ensure that the provisions is implemented failure to do so Will promote Corruption in the timber industry" Cissy Kagaba the Executive Director of ACCU told the media during the release of the report.

 Why is Illegal logging of trees are bad?,Uganda,s forest  cover is currently estimated at 12.4% of it's total land area down from the 24% in 1990, because of deforestation and forest degradation. The Deforestation has been partly attributed to Illegal logging. Unsustainable harvesting and Illegal and uncertified wood product's on the market

 According to other studies conducted by the ministry of water and Environment (2016) indicated that the combined effect of high Deforestation of about 92,000 hectares and high consumption estimated at 360,000 cubic metres per year of wood which is equivalent to 1,440,000 cubic meters of round saw logs  at current sawing efficiency of 25% is resulting in an accelerated imbalance between national demand and supply  of Forest wood based product's

 Another study conducted in2014 indicated that over 80% of the timber traded in the market was Illegal causing an estimated annual financial loss of about Sh 23bn through until paid taxes.