The ministry yesterday launched a one-year feasibility study to establish the extent of illegal timber and charcoal trade, which when complete, will inform the policy brief and a later law on the matter.

Environmentalists currently estimate that about 90 per cent of timber on the Ugandan market is got from illegal sources, associated with cutting down premature trees, black market trade, evasion of taxes and other forest crimes, all of which have culminated to increased forest degradation in the country.

The study, worth Shs 470 million, is funded by the European Union through a larger forest law enforcement project; Governance and Trade Support Programme for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Although illegal use of forests is one of the greatest challenges of forest management in the country, information about the extent of these illegalities has been lacking, with most cases under-estimated.
FAO Country Representative Alhaji M Jallow said it is high time a governance law on timber trade comes up since more consumers are becoming conscious of the legality of timber they buy, adding that it will also help check climate change effects.

“With increasing demand for legal forest products and the alarming challenges of climate change, we see governance and compliance issues influencing most forest management decisions especially with implementing trade deals,” Mr Jallow said.

By Flavia Lanyero, Daily Monitor