Legality Verification System on logs, timber products

KUCHING: Sarawak is practising the Sarawak Timber Legality Verification System (STLVS) which covers the process of licensing, harvesting, transporting, manufacturing and trading of logs and timber products in accordance with the existing laws, regulations and procedures governing forests and timber trade.

Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai said this would add credibility and boost customers’ confidence in the export of Sarawak timber products worldwide.

“STIDC, under the purview of the Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources, together with other implementing agencies will intensify the promotion of STLVS in the main markets of Sarawak timber internationally,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Meanwhile, STIDC in a statement said ‘legality’ in STLVS is defined as ‘logs harvested by licensed persons from approved areas and verified by the relevant authorities in accordance with the laws, regulations and procedures pertaining to forestry and trade in Sarawak’.

The system has undergone the process of improvement and enhancement in meeting the current needs.

In 2015, STLVS was further enhanced to allow independent auditing and verification to be conducted by an independent third party. This was followed by a seminar on STLVS in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan in 2016.

These tireless efforts have finally paid off and STIDC said it was now ready to issue the STLVS Certificate of Compliance for Principle 5 (Mill Operations) and Principle 6 (Trade & Export) and Export to the timber manufacturing mills and companies doing export and import activities in Sarawak.

Before issuing these certificates, the companies are to conduct third party audit on its processes to ensure compliance to the STLVS Standard.