Papua New Guinea is taking a significant step in sustaining its forest industry says Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
The PM made this remark when opening the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries forest ministers meeting in Port Moresby today.
The forestry sector is one of the major revenue earners for the country and illegal logging is also a lucrative industry.
“There have been abuses in the past, but we are working to create a more sustainable future.
“We are taking a number of significant steps forward in ensuring forestry sustainability.
“In particular, the sustainable management of our natural resources is a very important issue for Pacific Island nations.
“This naturally includes our marine resources, but also our land and vegetation.
“In Papua New Guinea we have 38 million hectares of forest cover - which represents about 80 per cent of our total land.
“Effective management of this land is a significant issue for our country.
“This includes moving towards the end of round log exports.” O’Neill said.
The participating APEC economies are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.
The APEC region accounts for half of the world’s trade
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