The forum was to prepare stakeholders for the upcoming commencement of timber and timber product trading under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) licence, which will take effect on 30 June 2025.

The FLEGT licensing scheme, the result of Ghana’s Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union, represents a significant step towards ensuring that all timber exports and domestically consumed timber adhere to rigorous legality systems.

Discussions at the forum centred on the operational aspects of the FLEGT licensing system, the necessary compliance procedures, and the opportunities the new framework presents for the Ghanaian timber industry.

Dr Hugh C.A. Brown, Executive Secretary of the Forestry Commission, stated that international partners, particularly the European Union, had been impressed by Ghana’s efforts in implementing a licensing regime for timber.

He noted that the incorporation of digital systems into the Forestry Commission’s regulatory activities had enabled the Commission to better manage the country’s forest resources.

“Often, as a manager, if you don’t have all the data or information available, you can sometimes find yourself in difficulty.

However, this system has helped us to know, with a simple click, for example, the volume of timber that has been harvested, how full those harvesting periods are, and who is harvesting where. This has improved our ability to regulate the sector effectively,” he explained.

Mr Alexandra Dadzie, President, Ghana Timber Association, expressed his hope that the Commission would address some of the concerns the association had raised regarding the licensing regime before its roll-out in June.

“Our concerns involve a few issues concerning some of the committees that need to be formed. These committees would genuinely address some of our concerns or complaints to ensure a smooth process,” he said.

He also pointed out that some of the laws lack clarity, particularly the law concerning complaints organisations.

“I mean, with some of the reports from complaints organisations, once a resolution is reached, the report has to go to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources before they communicate with the complainant, and that seems to create a slight hold-up,” he said.

He said the President had requested that the Commission ensure that complaints were forwarded to the Timber Validation Committee for a decision before being sent to the Minister.