Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu has announced that his ministry will soon commence the issuance of timber concession licenses that were last issued in 2017.
In a statement obtained by Q-News, Mr Nzovu says the ministry will before the end of April 2022, issue and circulate an advertisement in the daily newspapers and other media platforms to invite individuals and entities that would wish to apply for and acquire timber concession licenses.
He says these concession licenses will exclude the mukula timber species in view of the ban imposed by government on the harvest and export of the mukula timber species.
Mr Nzovu states that the nation will be informed in due course on the progress made in the new arrangements regarding the harvesting, trade and export of mukula timber species.
The minister has assured that the application and issuance of the concession licenses will be done in a transparent, just, accountable and equitable manner, without discrimination for the benefit of all Zambians.
He has encouraged Zambians to participate and acquire concession licenses as this is part of the empowerment that the new dawn government promised the Zambian people.
Mr Nzovu says arising from this development, the government is confident that more employment and income generation opportunities will be created and the economic well-being of the people will be enhanced.
And Mr Nzovu says the Ministry Of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE) guided by the Forests Act No. 4 of 2015, has commenced the process of instituting punitive measures on all concessionaires that are engaged in illegalities such as over-harvesting or non-submission of harvest returns among others.