Timber firms risk losing market access over non-compliance — FC
The Forestry Commission has said that timber companies that disregard forestry regulations risk losing access to local and international markets.
The Manager of the Timber Verification Department (TVD) of the commission, Greater Accra, Dr Frank Ankomah, said persistent compliance gaps, poor documentation systems and operational deficiencies by some timber firms continue to undermine their ability to meet international standards, thus affecting the clearance and export of timber products.
Event
The manager was speaking at a capacity-building workshop on Corrective Action Requests (CARs) at Assin Foso in the Central Region for timber operators and industry players.
Participants were drawn from Adansi Asokwa, Obuasi, New Adubiase, Dunkwa-on-Offin, Assin Foso and Twifo Praso.
They were equipped with knowledge on regulatory standards, compliance procedures, documentation requirements and corrective measures needed to address infractions identified during inspections and audits in the forestry sector.
The training formed part of a regional project titled: “Advancing good forest and mineral governance to reduce the contribution of timber trade and mining to deforestation in Ghana, Liberia and Cameroon.”
It is being funded by the UK Government through a Forest Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme.
Compliance
Dr Ankomah said compliance with regulations remained critical if timber firms were to remain competitive in increasingly regulated global markets.
He, therefore, urged operators to strictly adhere to laws governing timber production and trade, saying companies that operated within approved frameworks would face fewer barriers in marketing their products.
“Companies that comply with regulations and maintain proper systems will have little difficulty accessing markets for their products,” the manager added.
Collaboration
The Senior Project Manager of Nature and Development Foundation (NDF), Northern and Savannah Regions, Margaret Appiah, called for increased collaboration between regulatory institutions and timber operators to ensure sustainable exploitation of forest resources while safeguarding the environment.
She said improving adherence to forestry standards would not only boost market confidence in the country’s timber sector but also contribute to reducing deforestation and environmental degradation.
Participants expressed appreciation to the organisers, describing the training as timely and useful, while pledging to apply the knowledge acquired to improve compliance and sustainability in their operations.
