Expedite ratification of permits on forest resources- Forest Watch Ghana 

The Forest Watch Ghana, (FWG), a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), has called on Parliament to expedite the ratification process of all permits and extant leases on sustainable management of forest resources.The organisation announced that, out of the 148 permits and leases flagged in 2014 by the Joint Assessment as requiring parliamentary ratification, only 11 have been ratified as of July 11, 2024.Ms Doreen Asumang-Yaboah, speaking at a press briefing in Accra, said the ratification process would safeguard the country's forest resources.She said the country was likely to risk losing the European Union (EU) timber market if the ratification was not effected in a timely manner.She said the delays by successive governments in fully implementing these laws had led to illegal mining and forest resources.Ms Asumang-Yaboah stressed that this could have serious consequences for both the economy and the country's reputation in international trade.Ms Asumang-Yaboah called on authorities to announce and publish a road map for the full implementation of laws on sustainable forest management, including the trade in legal timber.In 2009, Ghana and the EU signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) to ensure that all timber products exported from Ghana to the EU are sustainably sourced.The agreement was subsequently ratified by Parliament, and now Timber Resources Management (Legality Licensing) Regulation 2017.L.I.2254.The VPA is part of the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade action plan to combat illegal logging, promote sustainable management, and improve governance in the forestry sector.Ms Asumang-Yaboah said the recent illegal mining in the country's water bodies and forest reserves had revealed the lack of enforcement of environmental protection and mining laws.'Illegal logging is increasingly becoming a problem, and the delay in enforcing these laws is allowing destructive activity to continue unchecked. If the government does not take swift action, Ghana's fores t reserves, already under threat from illegal mining, could face further damage from illegal logging,' she said.Ms Asumang-Yaboah assured the CSO commitment to support the government in protecting the country's forest resources.?She noted that collaboration between the government and CSOs is essential to ensuring the success of the VPA and preserving the future of Ghana's timber trade.Source: Ghana News Agency