GOVT STARTS ISSUING TIMBER EXPORT PERMITS

GOVERNMENT has disclosed that it has started issu ing timber export permits to various timber traders.

Minister of Green Economy and Development Collins Nzovu however said this time around government will only be issuing the export permits to traders with already har vested timber.

He said government will not entertain individuals without timber because this is what is stipulated in the law.

The minister indicated that government wants to ensure that the law is followed during the issuance of export permits.

“We have already started ex cept that issuance of the export permits is not issued in the of fice, it has processes, you need to ensure that the person you are giving a timber licence has that timber. There is a tenden cy by timber traders and ex porters to get permits of huge volumes and yet they have very small quantity of timber. This is what fuels illegal activities.

“So we are strictly following the law now. The law requires us to see the export quantities and we will give the permits according to what we see. We are not to give permits any how, we shall give permits so that we are able also to control this export,” Mr Nzovu said.

Mr Nzovu said, “Remember the illegal activities are still rife but we shall cut them consid erably by us checking what the traders have.” He said by doing so the government will be able to cut illegality in the timber sub-sector.

“Remember as they export there are several taxes they need pay as well, so we have come up with a system to en sure that government earns money from this trade.

It’s not only the traders who need the money, even govern ment needs money to by med icine and other provisions for our people. So we call upon all timber traders particularly the timber associations to help us so that we help them better,” Mr Nzovu said.