Regulation on export of logs and processed wood (FDA Regulation No. 14)

Kosipo Tiama/Edinam Acajou/Khaya Dibetou/Lovoa Niangon Bosse/Guarea Framire Aningre (B) A Forest Conservation Fee of One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) per cubic meter for Class “B” Species shall be levied on all logs produced for commercial use within the Republic of Liberia. Class “B” Species are as follows: CLASS “B” SPECIES Bete/Mansonia Aiele Koto Amazakoue Azobe/Ekki Antiaris Frake Limba Limbali Kusia/Bilinga Tali Bombax/Kondroti Didelotia Danta/Kotibe Dahoma/Dabema Wawa/Obeche Naga Sacloglottis/ozouga Iroko Illomba Daniellia/Faro Abura/Bahia Afzelia Doussie Mammea/Oboto Others Sikon/Tetra Ceiba/Fromagar Movingui Avodire Payment of the Forest Conservation Fee for the two classes of species shall be made to the FDA. SECTION II. WILDELIFE CONSERVATION FEE: A Wildlife Conservation Fee of Ten Dollars (10.00) shall be levied on all CITIES Export Permits for Wildlife Conservation Fee shall be made by the Exporter to the Forestry Development Authority. SECTION III. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Regulation shall become effective on December 15, 1986, and shall be announced in the public media. REGULATION NO. 14 REGULATION ON EXPORT OF LOGS AND PROCESSED WOOD WHEREAS, according to the Act creating the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), approved November 1, 1976, and published December 20, 1976 Section 3 (c), it is one of the primary objectives of the Forestry Development Authority to stop needless waste and destruction of the forest and associate natural resources, and bring about the profitable harvesting of all forest products while assuring that supplies of these products are perpetuated; and WHEREAS, the said Act has conferred upon the Forestry Development Authority the power to control the transportation or expert of forest products by land, water, and air (section 4 f); and WHEREAS, inspite of the obligation to locally process substantial quantities of logs within the country as contained in all Forest Products Utilization Contracts in Liberia, processing facilities installed very small productive capacity, thus resulting to stockpile of abandoned logs and low production of processed wood for both the export and local market; and WHEREAS, the said Act Creating the Forestry Development Authority has conferred upon the said Authority in Section 4 (j) and (l-n) the power to promulgate rules and regulations required to insure the accomplishment of all the policies ad objectives of the Authority and the power to issue, amend and rescind forestry regulations; and NOW, THEREFORE, the Forestry Development Authority does hereby rule and regulate: SECTION I DEFINITIONS: In this Regulation the following words have the meaning indicated unless the context otherwise requires; Processed wood: Wood products, which have undergone secondary, semi-finishing other than logs and boules. Examples of such processed wood are sawn timber/wood square edged, plywood, veneer, furniture parts, particleboard, wooden parquetry etc. SECTION II. EXPORT QUOTA ON LOGS AND PROCESSED WOOD: Products and/or Exports or Forest Products from the Republic of Liberia shall be required to export a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of their Export logs parcel in Processed wood. This means that for each export log parcel, twenty percent (20%) of that export parcel must be in processed wood. SECTION III. ISSUANCE OF EXPORT PERMIT: The Forestry Development Authority shall not issue Export Permit to any Producer/Exporter of forest products who fails to comply with the required minimum of 20% of export quota of processed wood as stated in Section II above. Export Permit for the export of logs and processed prior receipt, and due recording by the Managing Director of the FDA or his designate of the specifications of the logs and processed wood to be exported. The Managing Director or his designate shall refuse to issue the Export Permit if he is not satisfied that the Exporter has produced the required minimum 20% of processed wood to be exported. SECTION IV. PROCESSING REQUIREMENT AS PER CONCESSION AGREEMENT: This Regulation shall supplement the pertinent provisions of the various Forest Products Utilization Contracts and the FDA Forest Salvage Permits. Except as herein authorized and/or specifically provided for, all terms and conditions of the said Forest Products Utilization Contracts by and between the Government and the various logging companies (concessionaires) shall remain unaffected by this Regulation and in force and effect. SECTION V. PENALTY: In the event of non-compliance of any of the obligations prescribed in Sections II and III above, the Producer and/or Export shall pay in addition to other payments made or due, four (4) times the amount equivalent to the Industrialization Incentive Fee of the logs Exported according to Section 20.3 of the Revenue and Finance Law together being in force at the time. SECTION VI. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Regulation shall become effective on March 1, 1988 and shall be announced in the public media and be published in the “FDA Newsletter”. REGULATION NO. 15 REGULATION AMENDING SECION I, II, &III OF REGULATION NO. 14 WHEREAS, upon publication of Regulation no. 14 on “EXPORT OF LOGS AND PROCESSED WOOD” the Liberian Timber Association (LTA) submitted no. 14, which said report detains several constraints in the Timber Industry vis-à-vis the notion’s infrastructural development – road condition, lack of adequate warehouses for processed wood at the various ports coupled with inadequate equipment at the nation’s port to handle processed wood; and WHEREAS, upon receipt of the said report from the Liberian Timber Association (LTA), the FDA, in consonance with the Government’s policy to promote and protect investment in the forestry sector, held further consultations, dialogue and discussions on relevant issues pertinent to the implementation of Regulation no. 14 with all interested parties including Timber Producer, Exporters of Forest Products, Forestry Experts, Importers of Forest Products, Shippers and the Management of the National Port Authority with a view to ensure the continued viability of the Timber Industry; and WHEREAS, during these consultations, dialogue and discussions certain limitations which exist in such basic infrastructure as port facilities and roads, and other constraints in the industry – lack of credit facilities and non-availability of essential machinery and equipment locally, were emphasized, all of which affect the industry; and