NFA: Logs checked

PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) managing director Kanawi Pouru says all logs exported from Papua New Guinea are independently checked and monitored by the Swiss inspection company that goes by the name of SGS.
“Under this programme, all logs are physically checked to ensure that cargo details are declared correctly to Customs,” Pouru said in response to claims by Transparency International PNG’s Michael Avosa that 90% of all logs were not physically checked before being exported.
Avosa, who is the manager for forest governance integrity programme with TIPNG, had earlier this week claimed that corruption was the primary drive of illegal logging in the country.
He said this also included issuance of timber permits, unchecked exports of logs, misidentification and grouping of species.
Pouru said that PNGFA rejected the claims made by Avosa.
He said TIPNG and anyone else concerned about any particular shipment not being checked properly should have approached SGS PNG Ltd for clarification.