Un-Removed Yield Portal

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Forestry Commission through the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) has adopted the Domestic Timber Trade Network (DoTTNet) process to effectively regulate and promote trade in legal timber on the domestic market. The DoTTNet process is part of interventions and initiatives to improve the supply of legal timber to the domestic market. These interventions are part of regulatory framework envisaged to reverse the current situation and ensure adequate supply of legal timber to the domestic market

In light of the above, the TIDD is implementing a project entitled; “Enhancing stakeholders’ interest in the Domestic Timber Trade Network (DoTTNet) process to meet the demand and supply of legal timber on the Domestic Market in Ghana” which seeks to bring all players in the domestic market trade value chain; mainly TUC holders (loggers), small and medium scale millers, including Domestic Lumber Millers Association of Ghana (DoLMAG) and vendors including Domestic Lumber Trade Association (DoLTA) of timber and timber products onto a common platform to promote trade in legal timber while ensuring traceability of products, through enhanced monitoring mechanisms under the Ghana Legality Assurance System (GhLAS).

This real time portal will make information on un-removed yield available for DoTTNet stakeholders. Creating awareness among small and medium forest enterprises on the principles of the Ghana Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) for effective FLEGT/VPA implementation in the domestic market and at generating data on the potential scope of the domestic market to support the proposed Public Procurement Policy.

Supply of illegal timber to the domestic market has become one of the main forest governance issues today. Ghana was the foremost country to sign the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU) under the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan in November, 2009 with the ultimate aim of reducing illegal logging and associated trade. Under the VPA, the Government of Ghana is committed to ensuring that only legal timber is traded both on the export and domestic markets. Ghana cannot fully meet the Ghana Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) under the VPA without adequately addressing supply of illegal timber to the domestic market. One of the key requirements of the FLEGT/VPA action plan is the establishment of a Chain of Custody (CoC), to cover both export and domestic market trade in timber and timber products.

The FAO EU FLEGT Programme promotes the implementation of the FLEGT Action Plan by improving forest governance, providing technical assistance, and building capacity through funding projects in eligible countries. In pursuit of these objectives, the FAO EU FLEGT Programme has agreed to support the project entitled “Enhancing stakeholders’ interest in the Domestic Timber Trade Network (DoTTNet) process to meet the demand and supply of legal timber in the Domestic Market in Ghana”.