Indiscriminate cutting of Rosewood worry Govt
MANYINGA: North-Western Province Permanent Secretary Willies Mangimela has expressed worry over the indiscriminate and illegal harvesting of rosewood timber in Manyinga and Kabompo districts.
Mr Mangimela said there is need to protect the specie from being depleted by providing checks and balance with people holding timber concession licenses so as to ensure compliance.
The Permanent Secretary said this when he called on district Commissioner Geoffrey Malati and Town Council Secretary Ketty Mukonde in Manyinga yseterday.
"These two districts Manyinga and Kabompo are the main areas of concern in timber harvesting. God has blessed these districts with rosewood timber which we need to protect from depleting,” he said.
Mr Mangimela said government is losing huge sums of revenue due to the increasing activities of illegal timber harvesting and production in the province.
“If we are not careful and protect the timber, we are going to be in trouble as a province, these water bodies and the favourable rainfall we boast of will be a thing of the past because the climate will change,” he said.
Mr Mangimela said he received reports of increased indiscriminate cutting trees in the two districts
Manyinga District Commissioner Geofrey Malaiti said the number of timber dealers have increased in the district much of whom do not have concession licenses.
"It seems most of the areas where rosewood timber is found is depleting. We really need help from department of of forestry to investigate this matter, there are a lot of timber processing plants that have been set up but we do not know whether they have licenses," Mr Malayiti said.
And Town Council Secretary Ketty Mukonde said the department of Forestry need to strengthen measures to curb illegal cutting of trees.
“With timber it is our cry as a district. I think the measures put in place are not adequate and effective here in Manyinga because all sizes of trees are being cut all over,"Ms Mukonde said.
Principle Forestry Officer Maxwel Phiri has warned people engaging in harvesting timber without concession licenses that the law will deal with them.
"In Manyinga government receives a lot of money as non-tax revenue through timber concession so we expect the timber concession holders to operate within their licenses, we have had reports of some harvesting timber illegally," he said
He has urged timber processing plants to add value to the product and not just transport it outside the province as raw material and create more jobs for the local people. -