Past Governments had failed to enforce the forestry laws of the country says Forest Minister Douglas Tomuriesa.
The Minister was responding to questions from Samarai-Murua MP Gordon Wesley yesterday in Parliament.
Wesley asked, “the minister inform Parliament on his department reforestation programs and how far the sector as gone in replanting of trees.
“Any policy put in place for planting viable trees so government can shift its focus for harvesting of forest trees to more sustainable and viable commercial trees that can be grown and harvested for downstream commercial processing and export, similar to pine trees grown and harvest by Bulolo Forest Product in Bulolo.”
In response, Minister Tomuriesa said “in the last three years we have seen the benefits of forest but putting something back into the ground had been very slow.
“The Forest Act and the MoU agreements signed clearly state that for every tree cut a replacement must be planted especially with TRP (Timber Right Purchase) and FMA (Forest Management Areas) areas.
“With this comes with an obligation to the companies they must adhere to, but for too long companies have failed to honour this commitments.
“It is not only the failer of the companies but also successive governments to make certain these obligations are met.”
Tomuriesa further added that steps are no taken by his department to address deforestation caused by logging.
“In the last three years we have made it our business to make certain reviews of all operations in the country are done and I can guarantee the people of Papua New Guinea that we are also taking a more proactive approach going to the regions and districts and carrying out a program called, ‘painim graun planim diwai’
“And this program had already been announced to Members of Parliament and hope they can assist us to find land to plant more tress.
“We have failed in our part to have continued nursery in this country; we have many logging companies operating but no nurseries.