The Governor of East New Britain is concerned over the rate of forest depletion in his province.
Nakikus Konga expressed this during a recent International Day of Forests event.
The 7th International Day of Forests was observed by the PNG Forest Authority in Port Moresby on the 21st of March.
Though he was not in the program, the ENB Governor grabbed the opportunity to highlight the steady decrease of forest cover.
“In East New Britain we have been logging them for the last, almost 80 years, let me tell you,” said Konga. “Taim yumi no bin kisim indipendens yet em ol i logim diwai pinis lo hap blo mi.
“My province has lost almost 30 percent of its forest now. And I believe those provinces who are also being logged by investors, are also depleting their forest very fast.
“So Minister (Forestry) wantaim dipatment, the onus is on you now, kirapim gutpla polisi and I believe the parliament will pass that.”
The Governor has suggested the phase out of tree felling, adding carbon trade is a lucrative industry.
Carbon trading, which is sometimes called emissions trading, is a market-based tool aimed at limiting greenhouse gases. It provides economic incentives for the reduction of carbon emissions.
Governor Konga further said the government aims to control the export of logs after 2020, and would encourage downstream processing instead.