Uganda Timber Dealers Protest Government Inaction
8/17/99
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Title: Uganda Timber Dealers Protest Government Inaction
Source: The East African
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: August 17, 1999
Byline: Richard Hasunira
Kampala (The East African, August 17, 1999) - Timber dealers in
Uganda have accused the government of dragging its feet in
implementing a new set of conditions governing the felling of trees
in state-owned forests.
The new conditions were imposed after the government stopped 57 of
the country's sawmillers from resuming business at the end of a one-
month nationwide ban on the felling of forest trees for timber. The
ban, imposed in June, was lifted on July 5.
An assessment carried out during the period of the ban revealed that
the industry was flooded with illegal operators to whom the
government had lost unknown sums of money in unpaid for trees. In
addition, the majority of licensed wood companies had not paid taxes
amounting to Ush80 million ($54,000).
When he announced the lifting of the ban, State Minister for the
Environment Dr Kezimbira Miyingo listed nine conditions which the
suspended companies and the government had to fulfil before the
state-owned forests were reopened.
The affected companies say they have met the two conditions that
required action from their side but the government is yet to fulfil
its part. The sawmillers were required to clear their tax liabilities
and set up nursery beds for tree replanting.
The government was, among other conditions, supposed to arrange for
trees to be paid for in advance at revised prices, issue new licences
and replace the old hammers used for marking pieces of timber for
which taxes have been paid, and publish a list of companies which
have complied and send it to the relevant local authorities. It was
also required to strengthen the inspection and monitoring unit of the
Forestry Department to weed out illegal operators and enforce the
economical use of forest resources.
But more than a month after these measures were announced, the
government is yet to effect any of them. Instead, Dr Miyingo has sent
letters to the suspended companies authorising them to cut into
timber the trees they had felled prior to the ban. In the meantime,
they are not permitted to resume their normal operations.
The Uganda Forest Industries Development Association (UFIDA), which
recently held its general assembly in Kampala, says the government's
inaction has caused unnecessary losses to its members, some of whom
had supply contracts and others strict loan repayment schedules.
The association formed a committee to draft a protest memorandum to
the Minister for the Environment, whom the sawmillers accuse of
creating an "unnecessary crisis." The memorandum will be copied to
the Prime Minister, the Inspector General of Government and the
Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, among other
authorities. The committee is headed by incoming UFIDA chairman John
Carvalho.
UFIDA general secretary Bob Mukirwa said that the ban and subsequent
suspension of companies was ill-advised as the industry could have
been streamlined without such stern measures.
The Acting Commissioner of Forestry, Mr. Ambrose Kyarukye, told The
East African that his department was "consulting widely" with all
stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, before new rates are
set. He said the crisis should end "in about two weeks."