Samuel Agbewode
13 August 2008
Ho — Members of the Domestic Lumber Traders Association of Ghana have called on the government, to re-examine the ban on chainsaw lumbering in the country, as the decision was having a negative effect on their businesses.
According to them the ban was irrelevant, because since the ban, government had lost huge amount of money that could have been mobilized, as revenue to the state, through the activities of the Domestic Lumber Traders Association, noting that even though members of the Association had complied with the directive, others continued to engage in illegal activities by using chainsaw in lumbering.
The call, which was made in a communiqué signed by the General Secretary, Mr. Kofi Boakye, said the Association believed that the L.I 1721 (2003) Section 17, banning chainsaw lumbering, should be amended, in order to ensure a regular supply of lumber to the domestic market.
It continued that the amendment of the law would help resolve the friction that always occurred between traders and the law enforcement agencies, which at times resulted in conflicts, thereby claiming many lives, of which four of such killings happened in the first quarter of this year.
The statement further pointed out that members of the Domestic Lumber Association were willing to dialogue with both state and non-state actors, to find a lasting solution to the problem, by regularizing the supply of domestic market lumber in the country.
It alleged further that chainsaw still accounted for over seventy-five per cent of the local demand.
The statement also assured that members were prepared to pay, for any levy that would be reasonably accepted, as a way of contributing to the development of the country, through tax payment to help ensure that the seventy thousand people, who lost their jobs as a result of the ban on chainsaw operation, regained their jobs.
Contributing, the Volta Regional Commander of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Bernard Dery, said there was the need for Ghanaians to set their priorities right, as it was important for the people to understand their needs, and live according to such needs.
DCOP Dery observed that laws that were made and were not applicable, have no value, noting that even though there were many restrictions that prohibited the people from doing certain things, alternative measures were not put in place for the people to work and survive.
The Police Commander, who at this point said he was speaking as a lawyer, stressed that even though chainsaw operation was banned in the country, timber lumbering was seen all over the place, saying the ban on chainsaw operations was ineffective, and as he put it such laws were put in place only to promote corruption.
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