Minister reveals deadline for log exports extended
FOREST Minister Solan Mirisim says laws will have to be amended for provinces to benefit from the round log export development levies (LEDL).
In response to Northern Governor Gary Juffa’s query on round log export in Parliament yesterday, Mirism said LEDLs were being paid to district development authorities (DDA).
He said the government had extended the deadline for log exports to cease in 2025.
Juffa raised issues about logging in his province which he had raised with the PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) but has not received any response.
He said the former government had made an undertaking that all round log exports would cease this year and asked what the progress was.
Mirisim said between 2018 and this year, there had not been any work done in preparation for the round log export to cease.
“We have started work on meeting the target of ceasing the round log exports in 2025,” he said.
“We need to put downstream processing and other amendments to laws on round log export before 2025.
“I have made a submission to the National Executive Council (NEC) to make a gradual progress of downstream processing by 30 per cent every year till 2025 when we reach 50 per cent work.”
Mirisim said the Government needed to also consider the revenue that came into the country from logging.
“We have sawn timber export and also round log export,” he said.
“We need to consider the revenue stream that comes into this country.
“Forest is one sector that brings more revenue into this country, that’s why we need to discuss and negotiate on how to address this.”
Mirisim said he would receive a briefing on Special Business Agriculture Lease (SABL) from the managing director and report to Parliament.
In reference to the issues in Northern, Mirisim said PNGFA had plans to visit the province but it was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is not the first time you have raised these issues so I want to see what the real problem is in your province,” he said.
Mirisim also responded to Ambunti-Dreikikier MP Johnson Wapunai’s query regarding licences being extended without the notice of the landowners and the districts, stating that there were specific permits for certain areas.
14 comments
I believe there are other commodities (like coffee, cocoa, vanilla, rice and other) that can be harness from our last forest on earth to cater for the round log export. All we need to do is apply the government policy on growing our local economy through cash crop were every one can benefit rather than round log export were only a minority benefit and the round log operators get the most. Each and every one must change our mind set to realized the government aspiration on cash crop. You tuhat you kisim bikpela share, you laikim quick fast money you breadim evil long kamap.
Bring on DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING!
This country can kiss good bye to our prime natural resource because the foreign investors have controlled the government and the PNG Forest Authority from banning the log export. The policy on log export ban and down stream wood processing have been around for more than 20 years now and the biggest losers are the resource owners. The same politicians who are making this decision to defer log export ban made the previous decision to stop log export in 2020. Resource owners, rise up and stop your resources for the benefit of those in power. I salute the Governors of Oro and East Sepik.
Why 2025, is logging is the only source of revenue income? Forest Minister, consider the natural beauty of the forest we have in PNG. The logging companies are really destroying this beauty that we have. Can you cease the exporting logs.
We’ll only watch and see foreigners benefiting from our logs. Please, when will down stream processing save our country from round log exportation. Are we “Taking back PNG?” Over to PM JM.
The IMPORTERS are not the Resource Owners… WHY DON”T WE CONSIDER DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING and let them buy from us rather than we buy from them as they are the Owners of the LOGS/FOREST?
There is no tangible development taking place in the areas that logging companies operate in..It seems that the incoming revenue is not even channeled well toward development of affected areas.. We have number of loggers in WNBP but currently there is no signs of a real development or permanent infrastructure in those parts of the province. Please just do away with the round log export.
Forestry Minister is protecting Foreign Logging Companies in PNG and allowing them to steal from us. We cannot allow this to happen. The logging companies were asked to prepare for ban on export of round logs and prepare for downstream processing since 2002. They should prepared by now.
Ban on export of round logs can be done by NEC Decision or simple amendment to Forestry Act. We cannot allow this to continue. Prime Marape must replace the forestry minister and ban export of round log now.
Minister, 2025 from this year 2020 is five period is too much time the government has given those logging companies to become overnight rice. Why not 2021 or 2022.
Prime Minister Marape said to stop round log export during early public speech. When he is going action it???? Garry Juffa, since you are in the Government team why not you tell him straight away.
I strongly support this move to stop and move these loggers from destroying our forest or get them to prepare to do down stream processing in our country. We should be exporting processed timber, and other bi-products from sawn logs and not selling logs anymore for the benefit of minority of people, lets be self-sufficient.
I gather, the log export development levy was meant to be spent on infrastructure projects and associated services in logging impacted communities. Past government, approved by parliament agreed to give the LEDL to DDAs of loging impacted Districts to be abused by DDAs There is absolutely no projects funded by LEDL in logging affected communities of the Gulf Province.
Minister, do away with the channeling of LEDL to DDA.
My opinion is that our Government must seriously think of abolishing export of raw timber and implement down stream processing of logs into finish products like furnitures for export.
Immediate ban on export of log should be an integral part of taking back PNG.
Only allow down stream processing of log and export of finish ptoducts.
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