Lumber traders push for import waivers
The National Domestic Lumber Traders Association (DOLTA) and its affiliates have called on the government to waive taxes on the importation of lumber to sustain the domestic timber market.
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The association said the waiver would also help release pressure on the already overexploited forest and boost the fight against illegal logging.
It said although Legislative Instrument (LI) 1694 prohibited the sale of chainsawed lumber, sustainable supply of legal lumber to meet local demand had not been guaranteed and, therefore, the dealers had no option but to buy from illegal sources to sustain their businesses.
The leaders of the associations made the appeal when the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF) conducted journalists round timber markets in Accra and Kumasi and some forest reserves in the Ashanti Region to help them to acquaint themselves with the timber and forestry industry.
Prior to the field visits, the selected journalists went through a comprehensive capacity building in Accra on the forestry and timber industry, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other partners.
Shortage of legal lumber
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chairman of the Sokoban Timber Village in Kumasi, Mr Charles Kra Boadu, said the importation of sawn timber had become necessary because the sawmills, licensed by the government to feed the domestic market with 20 per cent of their produce, were not adhering to the directive and no one seemed to care.
“They are only focusing on exports, causing a shortage of legal lumber on the domestic market,” he said.
Mr Boadu and other executive members of DOLTA said due to the shortage of legal lumber, most dealers had resorted to illegal lumber (bush cut) in their bid to stay in business.
They also accused the sawmills of exporting all the lumber made of quality timber abroad and brought what was not accepted on the international market to the local market.
A dealer in the Muus Timber Market, Alhaji Mustapha Muhammed, said he had made payment for lumber at a sawmill two years ago but the goods were yet to be delivered.
During the tour of selected timber markets in Accra and Kumasi, the Daily Graphic observed that most of the sheds were virtually empty.
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Waiver on logs not enough
The Communications Director of DOLTA, Mr Anthony Asare, explained that although there was about 45 per cent tax waiver on timber logs, the initiative had no impact on their business.
He said 60 per cent of logs automatically went waste during processing at the mill and, therefore, importing the logs was not helpful.
“That is why we are calling for the waiver on the sawn timber, which is far more cost-effective,” he added.
Liberia
Mr Asare said a delegation from the association, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kofi Afreh Boakye, had visited Liberia to carry out feasibility studies on importing lumber from Liberia.
Their study established that there were enough timber resources in Liberia to feed the local market in Ghana.
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