Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has with immediate effect suspended the issuance and renewal of forest concession licenses.
This is in order to facilitate the review of the old regulation and the development of other regulations to enhance sustainable management of Zambia’s Forest resource following the passing of the Forest Act No. 4 of 2015 which came to effect on 14th August this year.
Lands Minister Christabel Ngimbu says features of the Forest Act will require regulation for it to be operationalized, the reason why her Ministry needs to review and develop subsidiary regulations.
Ms. Ngimbu has explained that the issuance and renewal of forest concession licenses will therefore only resume after the new regulations and procedures have been complete.
She has told a media briefing in Lusaka today that her Ministry has to this effect started streamlining the procedures for regulating, monitoring and managing forest activities in the Country.
Ms. Ngimbu states that this is in order to align these procedures to the new Forest Act.
She notes that among the new regulations that her Ministry has worked on so far is the Statutory Instrument No. 94 of 2015 on export of timber regulation which came into effect on the 4th of December.
Ms. Ngimbu has since called on stakeholders in the Forest sector to submit ideas on the proposed implementation procedures.