Taskforce against illegal lumbering to be set up in Bono East Region

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapo, has indicated that a taskforce, made up of military, police and Forestry Commission personnel, will be set up to fight illegal lumbering in the Bono East Region.

The Taskforce will be charged with clamping down on illegal lumbering activities in forest reserves in the region.

“We are aware of the illegal lumbering canker in the region. We are ramping up efforts to clamp down on it. The taskforce will be dedicated to dealing with the canker, put a stop to it and arrest the perpetrators,” he said.

“Finance Minister is going to present a budget to Parliament and the budget as a result of this new security architecture of you being the fulcrum around which the fight against illegal mining and deforestation revolves, there is a budget line item, purposely for REGSEC’s work as they relate to the enforcement of the Lands and Natural Resources of our country,” the minister added.

He was speaking at a meeting with the Bono East Regional Security Council.

The Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu-Gyan, admitted to the concern of illegal lumbering in the region adding that the Regional Security Council would collaborate with the Ministry to end the menace.

“We will do all we can to help in the realisation of government’s agenda to protect the country’s forest,” Kwasi Adu Gyan, Bono East Minister.

Illegal timber logging is said to be the most leading forest crime reported in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.