MUKULA LOGS SCANDAL LAID BARE

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 10:26:21 +0000

By Bennie Mundando

THE Forestry Department has continued to abrogate the law with impunity by issuing export permits for Mukula logs to the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) without following the laid down procedures.

This has angered other players in the sector who want the Government to intervene.

The Daily Nation is in possession of export permits for mukula logs granted to ZAFFICO by the Forestry Department, a development which has raised dust among stakeholders.

They have charged that the secrecy and failure by the department to adhere to the law had opened a loophole for some individuals to engage in corruption and illegal activities to enrich themselves.

This, they say, will defeat the logic behind the banning of timber exports as the endangered species will continue leaving the country under the disguise that the logs were those confiscated from illegal dealers.

The Zambia National Association of Sawmillers (ZNAS) has said that after Minister of Lands Jean Kapata banned the export of timber, the department has failed to follow the law either purposefully or inadvertently, on the disposal of confiscated logs.

ZNAS president William Bwalya said while the law provided that the department needed to complete the court process, advertise in the daily papers on the quantities forfeited and then facilitate for export after 90 days, the procedure had been ignored with impunity because there could be some senior officials benefitting from the illegality.

“ZAFFICO has been given a special permit to export and what should happen is that when the department confiscates the commodity, they must advertise in the local newspapers to show the quantity confiscated and ensure that no one is claiming ownership.  After 90 days of advertising in two daily newspapers, that is when they can apply for the forfeiture order from court.

“Once the seizure order to transfer the consignment to state has been granted, the department can then give an export permit to ZAFFICO to go ahead and export. However, that is not happening as everything they are doing is in secrecy and that raises the question of the legitimacy of these transactions.

“If Government is not careful, it may be thinking it is solving the problem when it has created a big loophole for some people to loot,” Mr. Bwalya said.

He noted that such lacklustre attitude and lack of transparency on those entrusted with national responsibilities deterred meaningful development in some sectors which had the potential to blossom.

Mr. Bwalya said “the reason why they have single-sourced ZAFFICO is because there are beneficiaries in the system and people with power. They know that what they are doing is illegal.  If things were done properly, surely you would not expect players in the sector to be at loggerheads with them all the time.”

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