Timber firms asked to embark on re-afforestation

Mim (Brong Ahafo), 11 March '99,

The Brong Ahafo regional minister, Mr Donald Adabre has urged timber firms to establish forest plantations to safeguard their continued operation and viability in the next millennium. At the current rate of deforestation caused partly by excessive logging, there is every indication that the "future of Ghanaian timber firms are bleak unless they begin to invest heavily in afforestation projects now." Mr Adabre said this when he visited the premises of Mim timber company and Scanstyle Mim Ltd, two timber firms based at Mim on Wednesday as part of his two-day familiarisation tour of the Asunafo district. He said uncontrolled logging and other environmentally destructive practices in the past have drastically reduced forest resources of the country and "it is time those responsible for the plunder are made to invest in re-afforestation projects." The deputy chief accountant of Sanstyle, Mr Albert Zanu said the company, which manufactures furniture for export, is the only free zone enterprise in the region. The company, he said is already undertaking afforestation projects and is also providing social amenities to communities in which it operates. GRi