Prof. Kasim Kasanga, Minister for Lands and Forestry says over 86% of total land area originally covered by forest has been degraded through bad practices, and called for positive change in those areas. "Wildfires for example have been estimated to cause an annual loss of 3% GDP, while the total quantity of logs removed in 1999 amounting to 3.7 million cubic metres was 4 times the annual allowable cut."
Prof. Kasanga was inaugurating the nine-member Forest Plantation Development Fund Management Board in Accra.
The members include Osagyefo Amotia Ofori Panin II, Okyehene and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Maxwell Owusu Jnr., President of the Ghana Timber Millers Organisation, Mr. J.A Armah, President of the Ghana Timber Association and Mr. Logah, NGO (Agro-forestry) representative of the tree growers.
Prof. Kasanga said the previous government formulated the Forest Plantation Development Fund (FPDF) to provide assistance for the development of forest plantations.
However, the act establishing the Fund was narrow in focus because it was limited to promoting only private commercial forest plantations.
To address these limitations, the government proposed a Forest Plantation Development Fund Amendment Bill 2002 to ensure that all tree growers and not only commercial private sector plantation growers benefit from the Fund.
"The proposed amendment bill seeks to expand the scope of the funding mechanisms under the Act to include funds from the Government's Consolidated Fund," Prof. Kasanga said.
The bill has been passed by Parliament and is awaiting presidential assent.
Osagyefo Ofori Panin Amotia II in his acceptance speech said, he is aware of the task ahead of the Board, owing to mismanagement and destruction of our rich forest over the years and promised to work hard to meet government expectations.
He called on all Ghanaians to consider the future generation when dealing with lands and the forests. Everything that is being done should aim at benefiting posterity.
