Government's decision to import timber, a bold move

BY UDITHA Kumarasinghe

THE Government's decision to import timber and saw them locally to be released to the local market to meet the demand will be a more environment friendly proposal to a country like Sri Lanka which is fast losing its forest cover, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said.

This will also be a good move to restrict the cutting down of local timber in forests and to encourage timber mill owners to import timber, he said.

Minister Amunugama disclosed this at a meeting with representatives of the Kandy District Timber Mill Owners Association held at his Ministry recently.

Sri Lanka has no sufficient timber sources to cater to the requirements of country's saw mills and, permission cannot be granted furthermore to cut down trees in forests in an ad hoc manner. Because this will result in a severe problem before long.

The lack of the required forest cover and the corresponding problem faced by the timber mill owners to obtain the required amount of legal timber will turn into more complex situation in future, he said.

"However, we have to provide timber to the people for their construction activities. We cannot neglect the utilisation of timber in our country. In this situation, timber mill owners should take steps to import timber from foreign countries."

The Minister said attention should be focused on the problems encountered by the timber mill owners to obtain permits to transport timber. Due to lack of local timber production, initiatives should be taken to take maximum advantage from the sawn timber.

In order to further develop the country's timber supply, timber mill owners should have an advanced knowledge of this industry and international market trends.

Opportunities will be provided to the Timber Mill Owners Association to go to Malaysia or Thailand to obtain a good understanding of their large scale timber industry, he said.