THE Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe has decentralised the issuance of timber movement and export permits to district offices as part of the Ease of Doing Export Business — Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), information gathered from ZimTrade reveals.
BY BUSINESS REPORTER
Prior to this reform, Forestry Commission permits were being issued out at the Harare head office only. This was not only costly but also inconvenient to traders outside Harare.
The Forestry Commission acting general manager, Chemist Gumbie, said stakeholders requiring timber movement and export permits have already started getting their permits at the forestry commission’s district offices.
According to the Forest Act (Chapter 19:05) and the Communal Land Forest Produce Act (Chapter 19:04), it is an offence to cut, injure, remove, and collect any forest produce without authority and to move firewood from one place to another without a timber movement permit issued by the Forestry Commission. Products that are classified as forestry produce include; timber, wooden handicrafts, brooms, curios, mats, artifacts and hand tools such as hoes and axes.
Zimbabwe Cross Borders Association president Augustine Tawanda, also confirmed the development saying members who are based outside Harare were now benefiting from the initiative.
“I am quite happy to acknowledge that the system is in place and works because traders are getting export permits from Binga offices,” he is quoted by ZimTrade as saying.
The reforms are being put in place to make it easier and more affordable for both companies and individual traders to export timber and wooden products. Exporters are thus encouraged to take advantage of this reform to increase exports of wooden products.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Zimbabwe lost over $2 billion in potential revenue and over 3 000 jobs due to deforestation by the settlers during the height of the controversial land reform exercise 17 years ago.
A report by the Timber Producers Federation (TPF) released in 2014 revealed that the country’s timber plantation was in limbo.
The report indicated that the national timber hectarage has fallen by 25% in the seven years to 2012, leading to company closures and almost 70% drop in export revenues.
The bulk of the national timber industry lies in Manicaland Province, which witnessed a 20% fall in plantation area from 96 836 ha in 2005 to 77 718 ha in 2013.
The Midlands, Mashonaland West, Central and East Provinces, which constituted five percent of the national timber plantations in 2005, were down to 0,2% in 2012.
Export earnings dropped by 68%, from $34,9 million in 2005 to $11,3 million in 2012, while employment in the industry fell by 43% over the comparable period to less than 8 000 workers, from 14 253 in 2005.
