Fumesua, (Ash), May 10, GNA - A project to promote quality control and standardization of Ghanaian wood products has began in the country. It is being implemented by the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), in collaboration with the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of the Forestry Commission with sponsorship from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

The project aims at developing and promoting the application of quality control guidelines and standards for Ghanaian timber and wood products in order to ensure sustainable timber and wood product management and efficient processing, utilization and marketing in Ghana.

An inception workshop on the project was on Wednesday held at FORIG for representatives from research institutions, consumer associations, Furniture and Wood Workers Association of Ghana (FAWAG), Ghana Timber Millers Organisation (GTMO), Ghana Timber Association (GTA) and Civil Society groups involve in forest protection.

Opening the workshop, Dr Joe Cobbinah, Director of FORIG, said the forest industry in Ghana had reached a state that called for critical measures in management, processing, utilization and marketing of forest resources.

He said poor quality wood products and lack of institutional framework to enforce existing standards had led not only to rip off of consumers but contributed to the depletion of the forest resources. Dr Cobbinah said the project had the potential to contribute to the sustainable forest management in Ghana and pledged that FORIG would support to ensure the successful execution of the project. Dr Victor Kwame Agyeman, project leader, mentioned some of the challenges affecting quality control and standardization as poor chain of custody, corruption, poor law enforcement as well as poor collaborative management.

He called for effective measures to ensure quality control of wood products in Ghana.