Report says that almost all logging is illegal
04 November 2023
NEWS DESK
| Act Now
PORT MORESBY - A new Timber Legality Risk Assessment published by civil society organisation Act Now concludes that there is a very high risk that almost all logging occurring in natural forest areas in Papua New Guinea is illegal.
The assessment is based on a comprehensive review of all the available literature, including reports of official government inquiries, court cases, international organisations and civil society groups.
It shows that, although most logging operations are authorised by the PNG Forest Authority, there is an almost universal failure by the Authority to follow the law in issuing timber harvesting licences.
This includes failures to ensure the informed consent of customary landowners and to follow the correct procedural steps designated in the Forest Act.
The assessment also finds a complete failure to monitor harvesting operations and ensure logging companies follow the terms and conditions of their licences.
There is no attempt in most logging projects to apply basic sustainable forest management principles or to ensure logging companies follow the logging code of practice.
The findings of widespread illegal logging are consistent with the recently released Anti-Corruption and Money Laundering Strategic Plan published by the Bank of PNG.
The plan identifies illegal logging as one of the top five money laundering risks in PNG.
Illegal logging is generating hundreds of millions of kina in revenue and is assisted by government employees. It is not hard to imagine what their motivation and rewards might be.
A copy of the full risk assessment report can be downloaded here
A green-eyed redhead William! I had you tagged as a Barry Fitzgerald lookalike.
I used to have fair hair, which my daughter inherited, but my son and two grandsons are darkly red-headed (blood-nuts) with green eyes. My youngest sister is a redhead with green eyes.
It's a Viking gene that does it I think.
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 07 November 2023 at 06:08 PM
Thank you, Garrett. That's him; I had the O'Neill. But not his Christian name. I couldn't get past Red Hugh O'Neill!
As a matter of possible interest, have you ever come across the McKenna Twins from my hometown, Ballymoney, in County Antrim,
Fathers Jude McKenna and Brian McKenna: they are in their 80s now?
They are both Capuchin Franciscans who retired to Dublin around 2017 and are distant cousins of mine.
My GGG Auntie, a green-eyed redhead like myself a taim bifo from Drumlee who married into the Ballymoney McKennas. Slantie.
Posted by: William Dunlop | 06 November 2023 at 11:20 AM
William Dunlop, you refer to a Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul business manager. Perhaps that was Fr Tim O'Neill from Ireland.
Posted by: Garrett Roche | 05 November 2023 at 05:28 PM
My dear Bernard, the most important people in a business, public authority, etc are, as I discovered 60-odd years ago at age 17 when I ran my first business in the auld sod, are your staff in equal portions with your customers or clients. It hasn't changed. Slantie.
Posted by: William Dunlop | 05 November 2023 at 12:35 PM
My dear William, given its well-known scarcity of executive talent, does Qantas have a copy of your CV?
Posted by: Bernard Corden | 04 November 2023 at 02:08 PM
This was clearly alluded to and spelt out in the Forest Industries Council in early 1982 by its CEO Gordon Gresham some 40 years ago and fully supported by the Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul's business manager, a fellow Irishman. Unfortunately I cannot recall his name.
He also stated that if PNG was not diligent, in 50 year there would be no forests left - and there will be little or nothing to show for it.
I represented the then secretary of Transport Works and Supply, the late Pius B Kerepia on the Forest Council during the period I was his acting executive officer whilst the department's inspector of management services.
Posted by: William Dunlop | 04 November 2023 at 11:08 AM