By Frank Kamuntu
H.E. The President, recently issued a ban on the unsustainable harvesting of trees for timber, and veneer exports. And further guided that only factories processing timber within Uganda for production of plywoods, furniture, and other value-added products, should be allowed to operate, but with sustainable tree planting and harvesting plans.
Now, Uganda Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga noted that all territorial commanders, have with immediate effect been tasked to combat the illegal export of timber, destructive charcoal production, dealing and transportation, in close coordination with support teams from NFA, customs, Ministry of Trade, Local Governments, FIA and other Sister Security Agencies.
”All timber traders, transporters, middlemen and locals, who often work in complex networks to facilitate the illegal transportation of timber across our land or water borders, are warned that it is now an illegality to export timber out of the country,” says Enanga adding; ”Our task teams have been tasked to identify and target all timber trafficking hotspots, with emphasis on land, air and water border points, as well as big companies, criminal elites, politicians, unscrupulous dealers, who will attempt to skirt the Presidential Directive.”
Enanga warns that police have zero tolerance towards any one, who defies this executive order, by engaging in the illegal export of timber.
