'Uganda loses sh138b in illicit timber trade'

Uganda has lost over sh138b as a result of illegal timber trade in the last six years, according to studies conducted by the World Wildlife Fund for nature (WWF).

According to David Duli, the country director of WWF in Uganda, the Government loses sh23b every year as a result of illegal trade in timber, which is estimated at about 80% of the total timber trade.

"A study in 2014 indicated that over 80% of the timber traded in the market was illegal, causing an estimated annual financial loss of sh23b through unpaid taxes," Duli said.

This, according to Duli is one of the reasons behind Uganda's galloping deforestation rates. Uganda's forest cover is currently estimated at 12.4% of its total land area, down from the 24% in 1990 due to deforestation and forest degradation.

"Deforestation has been partly attributed to illegal logging, unsustainable harvesting and illegal and uncertified products on the market," he said.

He was speaking on Monday during a press conference convened by WWF and the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU) at the offices of ACCU on Vubya Road in Ntinda, Kampala.

Timber scarcity expected

Duli said consumption of industrial wood is expected to reach 1.7 million cubic metres by 2030, rising from 1.3 million cubic metres in 2008.

"If this trend is not checked, Uganda will soon be a wood scarce country, as a recent study has pointed out," he said.

Gaster Kiyingi, a private consultant who is the brains behind the WWF and ACCU study, said inferior products, particularly furniture made out of saw dust, is sold expensively on the Ugandan market yet Uganda has better hardwood timber tree species.

He said the two laws, the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) were being revised and that this offers an opportunity for better standards on products harvested from sustainable forests.

Way forward

Duli said the sector is grappling with a number of challenges that should be addressed to streamline the procurement and trade of forest products in the country. The challenges include lack of guidelines to regulate procurement of forest products by public institutions that should procure legal and certified forest products.

He also pointed out that the failure to utilise opportunities under the Buy-Uganda, Build-Uganda policy and pronouncements made by President Yoweri Museveni demanding government ministries, departments, and agencies to procure locally manufactured furniture.

He also said they want the forest policy and the law highlighting the importance of trade, its contribution to development, and the need to use markets to control trade in illegal produce.

He added that "the PPDA law should provide for the application of local content to all undertakings, where public funds are used, and at every stage of the procurement process. The law should also consider products from responsibly managed and certified sources by responsible bodies."

Isa Katwesigye, a principal forestry officer in charge of regulation under the Forestry Sector Support Department concedes that illegal timber is a big challenge. He said what they are doing is co-ordination with the different agencies of Government to clean the timber market in Uganda. 

"What we are doing is to engage the finance ministry. They have been amending the PPDA Act. We want the government to use legally sourced timber," he said. "Government is the biggest consumer for furniture in schools and construction. For somebody to win a tender to supply government, the timber should be from legal sources. This is going to help clean the market."