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Artisanal loggers in Gabon accused government of “killing” national economy with harsh laws

Penniless for many months, and more since the Minister of Forests decided to maintain the measure to suspend the evacuations of the volumes of abandoned wood acquired by transfer, the small Gabonese loggers assure to live “miserably” because having more income. The current health crisis does not help matters.

Far from making it easier, the health crisis due to the Covid-19 has made the situation of small Gabonese loggers more “unlivable” who would no longer derive any income from their main professional activity for several months. In question: the suspension by the government of activities to recover abandoned wood mainly in so-called community forests. And this situation which persists, the president of the General Confederation of small and medium-sized enterprises and industries (CGPMEI) has accused the Gabonese Forestry Minister  Lee White of killing them.

Emmanuel Zue, who has never stopped relaying the suffering of his fellow foresters on his Facebook page for several days, accuses the Minister of Forests of “killing” small loggers. The decisions taken since his appointment, some of which nevertheless existed before the arrival of Pr Lee White at the head of the supervisory ministry, have led, according to the leader of the CGPMEI, to “take the bread out of their mouths”.

“Mr. Lee White is continuing to block the disposal of our volumes of timber acquired through divestments for the time being. He suspended the signing of the opening of community forests. As a result, we find ourselves definitively without outlets, but above all without a penny to feed and care for our families. There is no longer any possibility for us to work in the sector, since all the opportunities that the law offered us are now closed, ” Emmanuel Zue lamented. He also recalls that the current Forest Code allows small national loggers take advantage of certain activities in the sector.

“Unlike PGGs [OTC permits] and PFAs [associated forest permits] which are areas exclusively reserved for logging, community forests can be used for multiple activities that generate employment and rural development . The last type of opportunity that nationals can benefit from is the recovery of abandoned wood. Decree 273 / PR / MEF of 02 February 2011 moreover determines the contours of this activity which is based on article 134 of the Forest Code. The President of the Republic issued this decree in order to allow nationals to become more involved in the forestry sector and to enhance the volumes of wood illegally cut in the forests. However, since his arrival Lee White has prevented us from taking advantage of this opportunity when non-nationals and large companies continue their activities, ” the president of the CGPMEI continues.

If Emmanuel Zue claims to have drew the attention of the member of the government more than once on the subject, the two men never managed to agree. In recent months, the confederation has initiated mood swings in front of the forecourt of the Ministry of Water and Forests in an attempt to be heard. Nothing has come out from there.

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