Many of our investors have withdrawn their millions of Dollars from Ghana and invested in other countries. For instance Togo. alone, there are 300 sawmills operating there who are all investors who relocated from Ghana, creating over five million job losses to Ghanaian who were gainfully employed in the timber sector. When we talk about timber contractors, we are referring to those in plantation development and loggers who process for export, and the local market.

We are not here to wash our dirty linen in public, for some of the issues bother on national security.

It is important to emphasize that the Forestry Commission as it stands now needs a serious reset as part of the resetting agenda of the President and the current NDC Government.

We can not sit down unconcerned for the timber industry, which contributes massively to Ghana’s GDP to collapse just because some atrocious policies introduced by the previous government.

We  are therefore calling on the President to intervene by resetting the Commission to respond to the needs of industry players. And we are ready to provide all the necessary information and lead for the government to succeed in resetting the Commission to help revive it for the benefit of Ghana and all of us.

Having said this, Your Excellency, we would like to point out a few things for you to see the need for this Reset Agenda.

1. Serious loss of revenue now in terms of Dollars and other hard currency. The timber export has increased, but the forex is not coming to Ghana, just as was happening with Gold and other minerals. Formally, there was loss of revenue in terms of export levies, but with the intervention of the leader of this group, Mr President, who sat with the then Executive Director, the late Nana Ben Donkor, and gave all the necessary leads,  all the revenue losses were blocked. If you check the revenue to the commission in terms of export levies from 2000 to 2008, and from 2008 to date, I suggested certain measures to the Executive Director of TIDD, which is being applied. Now you can  see the huge revenue that we saved for  the state.

2. Fumigation of Timber for Export: Since independence, the legally mandated organization in charge of the Fumigation of Timber for Export is the Ministry of Agriculture (Plant Quarantine Department).  When the previous government took over in 2017, they contracted a private company owned by a foreigner to do the fumigation. As a result, we are being charged USD 200 for lumber and USD 150 for logs per every 20 ft container, making Ghana the highest in the world, followed by Latin America, who pay USD 88 per every 20 ft container. Our neighbouring countries, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, etc, pay less than USD 10 to fumigate one container, even though we are all going to sell in the same market. How can we compete in the market, hence all investors have left Ghana to invest in these countries. Aside from this, the company doing the fumigation is also a timber contractor like us, which is a conflict of interest and a violation of checks and balances. Now, how is the fumigation money disbursed?  Which account is the money being paid into? And what percentage goes to the government?  And how much goes to the private pocket? We are told a percentage comes to us the industry players, but we are still grappling with  who takes that amount and which account is it paid to. We have never been given any accounts on receipts and expenditure for the industry percentage. Who are the members of the fumigation committee? are the same people still in office?
3. Since independence, Timber stumpage has always been sold to us per cubic meter, irrespective of the age of the trees. The previous administration has raised plantation stumpage prices from GH 200 per cubic meter for Teak to GH 400,500, 600 from 14years to 25years. Above 25years is GH 1000 for all  Standing Trees in the bush. Again, 22% taxes are slapped on these prices.  Same for all other species. How can we compete in the world market with these prices? The Cost of natural Timber trees, which are mostly sold in the local market, were also increased.. Mr. President, recently, after the change of power, the natural timber stumpage again has been increased, discouraging the license operations to work, giving advantage to illegal chainsaw operators in the process.
4. Timber export price, for example, is USD 300 for logs and USD 400 for lumber FOB. These are the minimum Forestry Commission prices. It means we are to sell above these prices. Today, Teak prices in the world market are between USD 200 and USD 250 CNF. In the world market, a container of teak lumber is between 22 to a maximum of 25 cubic meters. So previously, Forestry Commission took 23 cubic meters for every 20 ft container for teak lumber, after 2017, Forestry Commission raised it from 23 cubic meters to 32 cubic meters. This year, 2025, it been increased from 32 cubic meters to 40.1 cubic meters. this means, if one pays 100 cubic meters of teak to the forestry commission, one is allowed to load two and a half 20ft containers after which the volume is finished. Previously, with the same cubic meters, one could load 4 containers. Forestry does not care about supporting us to get prices close to their minimum prices, but makes us pay levies on USD 300, USD 400 FOB, and sells at USD 200 and USD 250 CNF in the world market, respectively.
5. Allocation of timber rights and permits: L I 1721, Amended in 2003, spells out the modalities for timber rights and permits, which are by TENDER OR BIDDING.it is only the sector minister who can make allocations outside this law in special circumstances.  From 2017 to 2024, there have not been tenders for Timber rights or permits that I know of. One person could have a permit in all regions in Ghana. In 2017, the then CEO, who was appointed at that time, withdrew all such allocation, including all those who had paid and refunded the monies paid to the government purse back to the contractors on the basis that all those permits were illegal, because they were not acquired through a Tender. But today, assessment is ongoing in the field, and work is still being done at the commission for the allocation made by the previous government. There are virtually no areas left for both plantations and natural forests. The previous administration made sure they shared all with their party faithful before they left power.  So, Mr. President, there is nothing left for us who believed in you and voted for you to come to power.
6. Coppice Management: We, the industry players, gave this proposal for the degraded plantation to be given to us to manage. Mr. President, find out how many were given through the right process and how many were not given through the right process.
7. Rosewood: I sent samples with my Indian buyer who visited the bush and got the market. After getting the market, both the NDC and NPP governments did not give me any permit after my first 200 cubic meter, which I used to get the market, had finished. Because the politicians ignore the timber laws by giving felling permits and laying down a process, the beautiful trade which earns Ghana millions of Dollars is often abused. We allow the community men who are not guided by any professional foresters to fell the trees.  Even though there is a ban, Rosewood is being felled every day. They fell to give way for their farming activities, and also for charcoal. Mr. President, we are ready to assist you in resetting Rosewood trade, which is now the most expensive wood in the world in bringing great revenue to the country and not causing harm to our environment.
8. Hippic Plantation: How is the allocation done, and who are the beneficiary companies?
9. The timber task force across the country, who do they work for, which account does their revenue go to, who are the members, and who put them there? These are just a few that we can talk about publicly.  The rest will be kept for the purposes of security.

Mr. President, we demand that all these crucial issues raised would be addressed and given attention, failure of which we shall organize all our workers and their families who are unemployed and carry all our timber equipment, that is, sawmills machines, dozers, trucks, etc, and come to picket  the lands and natural resources ministry until they hear us.