Timber manufactures: Logging ban will lead to unemployment

Timber manufactures: Logging ban will lead to unemployment

Timber manufactures have decried the recent 90-day logging band by the government saying it will lead to massive job losses.

In a statement released in a local daily, Timber Manufacture Association (TMA) noted that the ban announced by Deputy President William Ruto will have dire consequences on the timber industry and market.

TMA, currently valued at Ksh.550 billion, says the ban will lead to unemployment in rural areas which heavily rely on logging to earn a living.

“In the rural setting, sawmills are the simplest form of industries providing formal and informal employment thereby affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans,” reads the statement.

The association which boasts of 862 timber manufacturers, also says the industry will lose a lot of money as many of the forest materials have loans tied to them.

“The industry stands to lose millions of shillings on trees that have already been harvested but still lying in the forest due to decomposition and poaching. Most of the allocated forest materials have loans pegged on them, thus our members risk defaulting on financial commitments,” read the statement.

The association fears the ban will affect the country’s economy through loss of revenue pegged at billions of shillings.

“Industries and institutions like schools and hospitals that rely on fuel wood are bound to have an increase in operation cost and the school budgets will be greatly affected,” said the association.

The association, which says its members do not operate in the 94% of the indigenous forest, says that they follow strict harvesting processes.

“The felling of trees is guided by a Forest Plantation Management Plan (FPMP)… Before our members can engage in any form of harvesting, they have to be prequalified by the authorised agency,” reads the statement.

TMA however contradicts itself by saying that they are in agreement with the ban saying the recommendations will spur attainment of the government’s big four agenda on development and realisation of vision 2030 as well as the constitutional requirements on forestry.

 

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Deputy President William Ruto Kenya Forestry service Logging ban Timber Manufacture Association(TMA)

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