TIMBERMEN WANT PERMANENT REGULATION

The Ghana Timber Association (GTA) has made a passionate appwal to the government to introduce a more permanent marketing strategy for the timber industry, Graphic.

The GTA pointed out that because of the timber auction system introduce last year logs continue to pile up at the Takoradi Habour. In a message to mark World Enviroment Day. it is said about 70 per cent of the stock had rotten and cannot be shipped; according to a statement distributed by Mr. B. K Ofori, member of the Interim Management Committee of the GTA.

This is not the time to revisit mistakes but we just want to make the point that monies have been lost by the industry as a result of the 1994 Auction System. It contende that log have been felled, examined and accepted for auction but were never exported.

Our plea is that since this was not the industry's making, royalties charged on such logs should be waived. The GTA said it is regrettable that every year there is a new set of regulations, rules and instructions, on the exploitation, use and marketing of timber and wood products from the country's forests. This perennial rites or rituals do not augur well for systematic operation of the timber industry; the statement said. The association suggested that instead of the export levy of 30 per cent there should be a levy on exploitation which should be specie indexed.