Quota Allocation to Foreign Saw Millers Questioned

The Ghana Timber Association (GTA) has appealed to the Minister of Lands and Forestry to institute an investigation into "indiscriminate" allocation of timber quotas by some officials of the Forestry Commission (FC) to ensure fair play, peace and harmony in the industry.

Making the appeal in Takoradi, the National President of the GTA, Mr. John A. Armah, said this had become necessary because of the number of complaints received from aggrieved members.

He cited, for example, a petition sent to the minister this month by Mr. Issa Darko, Managing Director of Darko and Sons Timber Products Limited based at Asamankese.

Mr Armah said he was allocated 1,200 cubic metres quota as compared to over 20,000 cubic metres given to Metrostars Wood Products (MWP) based in Takoradi. As a result of the big quotas given to Lebanese saw millers, he said they were refusing to buy logs from Ghanaian Timber Producers.

He said those who showed interest also bought the logs at a very low price per cubic metre.

Mr. Armah said apart from the scanty quotas, the Ghanaian timber producer is expected to provide social amenities to communities in their areas of operation, pay stumpage fees, taxes, and salaries of their employees as well as meet overhead expenses.

He queried: "If all big saw millers like John Bitter, Samatex, A.G. Timbers, Ghana Primewood, Brim Timbers, Logs and Lumber Limited (LLL) were issued with 20,000 cubic metres each, how many quotas would be left out for Ghanaian Timber Producers?"

He therefore called for an open market for timber producers to sell logs, especially of the lesser-used and unused tree species, if the discrimination of quota allocation could not be stopped.

Mr. Armah said if the GTA members were permitted to sell on the open market, they would be able to offer between 15 to 20 per cent levy on the selling prices to support the ongoing afforestation project of the government.

"It is our prime necessity to revamp all the degraded forest areas to support the sustainable forest management programme," Mr. Armah added.