Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Timber Producers Association of Zambia (TPAZ) has cautioned government against allowing the Zambia Police and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to regulate the wood sector.
TPAZ vice president Charles Masange says his association believes the chief forest conserver the Forestry Department has sufficient mandatory powers to regulate the sector as prescribed under the Forestry Act.
Mr. Masange has told Qfm News in an interview that this implies that any taskforce consisting the Police and ZRA on the timber sector will only bring confusion.
He says it will not work well for the sector, if for example the Police are brought in the wood business to start arresting perpetrators of illegal timber production when the mandate clearly belongs to the Forestry Department.
Mr. Masange who is also a member of the SADC Timber Association Committee states that bringing on board the Police will mean ruining the wood business in Zambia.