The PNG forestry industry is working constructively with government and timber businesses to improve the performance, compliance, legality and sustainability of forestry in PNG.
The Timber Legality Verification System workshop aims to achieve this.
The PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA), NGO’s and Timber Businesses will discuss ways to strengthen the country’s timber verification system in a 2 day workshop which began On Wednesday in Port Moresby.
“What we intend to get out of this workshop is to have a system that we can use to implement the Timber Legality Standards” explained PNGFA’s Director of Policy & Planning Dr Ruth Turia.
The country has a legal standard, which provides a framework to guide forest management; but, in order for this legal standard to be fully implemented, a Timber verification system needs to be in place.
The Timber Legality Verification System will aid the Legal Standard to address illegal forest activities, forest management; timber sourced from PNG forests and ensure timber businesses operate within the laws of the PNG Forest legal standards and Timber Legality Verification System.
The system will also measure the competiveness of PNG timber against other countries.
“So we can compete with other countries to say that our timber met the requirements of our own country and it will also meet your country’s due diligence” Dr Turia further clarified.
The intent of the Timber Legality Verification System is to enable PNG’s timber industries to elevate their operation standards domestically and for government agencies like PNGFA improve their monitoring of logging operations in the country.
The PNG Timber Legality Verification System is hoped to be completed in time for the APEC Senior Officials 3rd meeting in August.