Ban On Timber Export Bites As Workers Lose Jobs

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in Uganda news August 2, 2023

President Museveni recently passed a directive to ban all timber exports in the country. This has now started to bite as private companies in the tree growing and timber harvest business have started laying off workers.

Some of these companies include Busoga Forestry Company, New Forests Foundation, and Besepo – Uganda LTD.

Mr. Ponsiano Bessel, the executive director of Besepo Uganda said operations in the sector are being affected by the directive.

He, therefore, said the president needs to revise the directive. The sector has been providing jobs to the local communities but now has no option apart from reducing the number of workers.

“I have 250 local people [employees] from the ground with no qualifications and government’s policy is employment. My brother [another panelist] said he had over 500 and very many Ugandans who have increased to 13%, when employing people, where did they go?” Basesa wondered.

He made the remarks during a dialogue organized by the World Wide Fund aimed at helping those affected by the timber exports ban. They discussed the way forward of the operations after the president’s directive.

Recently, Museveni ordered the cancellation of all licenses and permits issued to individuals and companies to harvest timber from forests.

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