Oda, (E/R) Feb.4, GNA - The management of the Birimwood Complex Limited at Oda, had appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Forestry for the allocation of timber concessions to enable the company to stay in business.

Speaking to the GNA on Friday at Oda the General Manager of the company, Mr Joe Mensah, expressed regret that though it was currently the largest employers in the timber industry in the Eastern Region, it did not have concessions and as such was facing raw material acquisition difficulties.

He said should the present situation persist, the company would be forced to lay off most of the employees, adding that it had written a letter to that effect to the Timber and Wood Workers Union (TWU) of the TUC and the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment. Mr. Mensah said the company, with a labour force of about 700, was now operating below capacity and appealed to the government to come to their aid to enable them to maintain the workers.

He noted that waste was very minimal at the company, saying, "we have processed the lesser known species and added value to them before export as even saw dust is not wasted but serves as fuel wood." On afforestation, the Manager said, the company had acquired 200 acres of land at Subonso in the Birim South District and engaging in afforestation for over six years now.