The Forestry Commission has announced plans to rollout the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licensing system in June 2025.

The rollout marks a significant step in Ghana’s efforts to promote sustainable and legal timber exports to the European Union and beyond.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb Business on the sideline of a final policy workshop ahead of the implementation, the Acting Director of the Timber Industry Development Division, Dr Richard Gyimah, expressed optimism about the long-awaited rollout.

He raised concerns regarding the readiness of key structures needed to support the smooth implementation of the system, particularly the establishment of the Timber Validation Committee (TVC).

"We've gone through this process for a period, and today seems to be the last workshop for the policymakers to be able to roll out this in June. We see this long-awaited implementation finally at birth, and we are very happy that it is coming out in June. The implementation is starting in June," he said.

He added that; "Our concerns are a few issues concerning some of the committees that have to be formed. That would really address some of our concerns or address some of our complaints to make the process smooth, like the TVC, which should be established before the implementation of the FLECT license, the issuance of the FLECT license. So, that is our big concern."

Dr Gyimah also pointed to ambiguities in the current legal framework and procedural inconsistencies, particularly regarding how resolved complaints are communicated.

“When a complaint is resolved by the committee, the report must go to the minister, who then communicates it to the complainant. This creates unnecessary delays. We believe the committee should inform the complainant directly, with the minister being notified accordingly,” he stressed.

As Ghana prepares to rollout its first FLEGT licenses, stakeholders are anticipating an outstanding structural and legal clarification to be addressed to ensure a successful launch and sustained compliance with international trade standards.



SP/AE

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