Accra, Aug 27, GNA - The boss of the Environmental Monitoring Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, on Wednesday called for a halt to the over exploitation of the nation's forest resources and urged the Forestry Commission to stop issuing permits to timber contractors. Mr Asante Bediako, the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, told the GNA in an interview that the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines had abandoned the policy of competitive bidding for concessions that was transparent and have resorted to issuing of permits.

Under the competitive bidding system, companies and individuals interested in acquiring the right to enter forests and fell timber were invited to bid and this enabled the nation to obtain the maximum revenue from its forest resources.

This system has been stopped and has been replaced by the permit system under which there is no competition and there is favouritism. "The Forestry Commission, with or without prompting from the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Lands, will simply grant the right to fell timber to a particular company for no clear reason." Mr Bediako alleged that permits have been issued within the last few weeks for the harvesting of teak trees at the Pru Shelterbelt at Mampong, Abutia Hill Forest Reserve at Sokode Gbogame, Boumfuom Forest Reserve at Kumawu and the Dede Forest Reserve in the Begoro District. He said the Foundation had written to state institutions detailing irregularities at the Forestry Commission in the allocation of concessions and implementation of export procedures and in one instance the state lost 4 million dollars in revenue.

"In my experience malpractices have always been present in the timber industry and not exclusive to the present administration but the truth of the matter is they are now totally out of control." Mr Bediako called for the suspension of all permits issued in recent weeks and appealed to NGOs operating in the timber and climate change sectors not to be silent over these abuses but should make their voices to ensure compliance with internationally accepted standards of forestry practices.

He said if the NGOs fail to do this they should leave the country because they have no moral to continue to stay here in the face of the impunity with which forestry laws are being flouted.