The Forestry Commission has been urged to focus on ecotour­ism to increase its revenue.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emman­uel Armah-Kofi Buah, gave the advice in Accra yesterday, when he paid a working visit to the Forestry Commission.

The visit afforded the Minister the opportunity to familiarise himself with the operations of the Commission.

Mr Buah in addressing the staff said the Commission’s focus should not only be on the timber sector.

Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (inset) addressing staff of the Forestry Commission in Accra Photo: Ebo Gorman

Mr Buah said like its counter­parts in East Africa, it could de­rive more revenue if it developed the various forests as tourism centres.

He said the Commission could turn the various forests into eco parks through partnership with the private sector.

The Minister urged the Com­mission to collaborate with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to develop the roads leading to the country’s ecoparks.

Mr Buah said the Forestry Commission should venture into value of timber products such as furniture manufacturing.

The Minister said the govern­ment was working to tackle illegal mining to save the environment and the country’s forests.

He said seven of the nine forests which were seized by illegal mining operators had been taken back and efforts were underway to take the remaining two.

On the Achimota Forest, Mr Buah said the government would do whatever it can to protect the forest.

He warned encroachers to stay off the forest as the government would not allow encroachers to destroy and threaten the ecology of the forest.

Mr Buah said the Minis­try of Lands and Natu­ral Resources would initiate measures to address the chal­lenges facing the Commission to protect the staff as well as the country’s forest reserves.

The Chief Exec­utive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, expressed gratitude to the Minister for the visit.

He pledged the Commission’s commitment to work to protect the country’s forest reserves and generate more value for the country