15 timber companies challenge legality of permit by Commission

24-11-08
Page 21

Some of the forest plantations that the 15 aggrieved timber companies said they won through competitive bidding are now being operated in by some other firms.
This came to light when a leading member of the aggrieved companies took journalists on a tour of the plantations at Jasikan in the Volta Region last week.
At the sites were chopped lumbers, tractors and other earth moving machines used for the harvesting of trees.
The 15 companies which have challenged the legality of permits issued by the Forestry Commission (FC) to 40 timber firms operating in some of the country’s forest plantations, accused the Commission of circumventing the relevant Legislative Instrument (LI 1721) to allocate concessions to timber firms which did not go through any bidding processes.
The companies alleged that those concessions were taken away from those who genuinely won them through the bidding process as required by law.
In addition, they said, the FC allocated the plantations at the price of GH¢140.00, which was 50 per cent less than the prices won during the bidding for the plantations, adding that prices won for the lots/plantations ranged between GH¢250 and GH¢350 per cubic metre.
The aggrieved firms have, therefore, called on the government to immediately withdraw all illegal timber permits issued by FC to all timber firms that did not go through the bidding process.
Failure to do that, they said, they would go to court to stop the operations of what they said were illegal operators, Mr Bright Nkeyasen, spokesperson for the aggrieved companies, told journalists during the tour.
He took journalists to 14 lot/plantations and claimed the area was won by Alacrety International during the bidding but was given to another firm. At the site workers were seen busily working when the team of journalists got there.
Mr Nkeyasen again took the press to lot 12, he said was originally won by Talento Wood Processing Limited, but was again given to another firm.
He said lots 11 which was won by Nkebright and lot 13 won by Engineering and Technical Services during the bidding were all allocated to other firms by the FC through permit which was wrong, adding that lots 1 won by Isberg and lot 2 won by Ghana Tropical were yet again given to other firms illegally.
The 15 companies challenging the legality of permits issued by the FC are In God’s Service Company Limited, Aframco Limited, Carlnormal Limited, House of Kay, Unclewad Company Limited, Tiger Exports Limited, Talento Limited and Belltop Company Limited.
The rest are Isbeg Company Limited, Ghana Tropical Limited, Nkebright Agencies, B.MS. Limited, Engineering and Technical Limited, Jeewap Company Limited and Alacraty International.