Suspending Mining in Forest Reserves a Good Move – Timber Association Hails Minister

The Ghana Timber Association (GTA) has expressed its happiness at the Lands and Natural Resources Minister’s directive suspending prospecting and mining in forest reserves, calling it a good move.

In a swift reaction to the directive, Mr. Alex Dadzie, President of the Ghana Timber Association, said members of the Association welcome the instruction with open arms, hoping it wouldn’t be a nine-day wonder.

“We have such directives in the past, giving us hope a better future, only for pressure from some quarters forcing the authorities to withdraw them,” Mr. Dadzie noted, urging the minister to be resolute.

Mr. Dadzie said the issuance of the directive is a good sign that the minister is thoughtful of the timber sector, considering the effects of mining in forest reserves on the wood industry and the environment as a whole.

“The forests are our main sources of raw materials and we all know the negative effects of illegal mining in the reserves and the attendant deforestation that has become a source of worry to industry players; this directive is a good move we all support,” he said.

Coming on the heels of a meeting the Association had with the minister and a promise to hold further consultations, the directive, according to Mr. Dadzie, is an expression of goodwill by the Minister and a sign of good things to happen to the industry.

“We, industry players, wish to encourage him to go on the same tangent if he wants to succeed as a minister. We believe continuous consultation with stakeholders would give him a better understanding of the sector and help him take the right decisions,” he averred.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, recently issued a directive suspending the issuance of licenses for prospecting and mining in forest reserves.

The directive has been welcomed in many circles, with some seeing it as the right decision to save the forests from degradation.

On the other hand, there are skepticisms over the minister’s ability to sustain the suspension, as some big shots are expected to bring pressure to bear on the government to rescind its decision.

To the Ghana Timber Association, which has members scattered across the country, the decision is a good move but need to be sustained to help save the forests and guarantee raw materials for the stakeholders in the industry.