Parliament Adopts Bill on Trade in Timber

Emmanuel Kendemeh

21 June 2011

Members of the National Assembly during a plenary sitting on tuesday, June 20 adopted the bill to authorise the President of the Republic to ratify the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Cameroon and the European Union on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in Timber and its by-products with the European Union (FLEGT VPA), signed in Brussels, Belgium, on 6 October 2010.

The House Speaker, Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril presided at the plenary sitting in the presence of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Gregoire Owona.

In defending the bill, the Minister of Forest and Wildlife, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle said the partnership agreement aims to improve governance in the forest sector and ensure that timber exported to the European Union meets all the legal requirements in Cameroon. He explained that by signing the bill, government seeks to promote trade in timber and its by-products, the development of forest industries and enhance the sector’s competitiveness, check illegal forest exploitation , set out the legal framework and procedures for controlling the legality of timber and its by-products, enhance stakeholder capacity in the forest sector and encourage investment to ensure sustainable forest management. When the President of the Republic will finally enact the bill into law, it will help reaffirm Cameroon’s political will to improve governance in sustainable forest management.

Scores of parliamentarians asked questions concerning the inclusion of wood processing and the industrialisation of the wood sector in the country in the agreement. Mr Ngolle Ngolle said the agreement takes into account the industrialisation of the wood sector, promotion of local wood processing and stated government’s plans to create employment and boost the economy through the wood sector.

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