The Forestry Commission is optimistic it will optimize trade of timber in the country through its Ghana Wood Tracking System (GWTS) portal.
According to the Commission, the portal will enhance diligence processes and advance transparency in the sector.
The sector has in the past been heavily affected by illegal logging of timber resulting in the loss of millions of cedis.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the matter, Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey was optimistic that, the portal would improve governance in the forest sector by regulating the trade in timber and timber products.
“We are using our wood tracking system to be able to inform our platform as to which logs are coming to the mills whether they are coming from sustainable sources and legal sources so that when they are moving throughout the product chain, we should be able to tell that the products that are going are from legal sources”, he said.
He added that the tracking system will help the commission capture all the information on logs accurately.
“So all the development that we have done in terms of the wood tracking system is to make sure that we capture information about all logs that are going to the mills”.
He made these comments at the Responsible Timber Trade Fair at the 27th Ghana International Trade Fair, in Accra.
The Ghana Wood Tracking System (GWTS) Public Portal was developed by Civic Response in conjunction with the Forestry Commission.
The purpose of the portal is to enhance due diligence processes and demonstrate the transparency and credibility of the Ghana Legality Assurance Scheme.
The illegal trade of tropical timber is one of the main drivers of environmental degradation, human rights abuses and corruption.
To tackle illegality in the sector and support the trade of legal timber, international legislation such as the EU Timber Regulation (EU TR), the US Lacey Act, and the Australia Illegal Logging Prohibition Act have been developed.
The Timber Trade Fair is also aimed at raising awareness about timber legality and help to generate an increase in the international demand for legally and sustainably sourced timber products from West and Central Africa.
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By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana