The Forestry Commission has been urged to focus on ecotourism to increase its revenue.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, gave the advice in Accra yesterday, when he paid a working visit to the Forestry Commission.
The visit afforded the Minister the opportunity to familiarise himself with the operations of the Commission.
Mr Buah in addressing the staff said the Commission’s focus should not only be on the timber sector.
the Forestry Commission in Accra Photo: Ebo Gorman
Mr Buah said like its counterparts in East Africa, it could derive more revenue if it developed the various forests as tourism centres.
He said the Commission could turn the various forests into eco parks through partnership with the private sector.
The Minister urged the Commission to collaborate with the Ministry of Roads and Highways to develop the roads leading to the country’s ecoparks.
Mr Buah said the Forestry Commission should venture into value of timber products such as furniture manufacturing.
The Minister said the government was working to tackle illegal mining to save the environment and the country’s forests.
He said seven of the nine forests which were seized by illegal mining operators had been taken back and efforts were underway to take the remaining two.
On the Achimota Forest, Mr Buah said the government would do whatever it can to protect the forest.
He warned encroachers to stay off the forest as the government would not allow encroachers to destroy and threaten the ecology of the forest.
Mr Buah said the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources would initiate measures to address the challenges facing the Commission to protect the staff as well as the country’s forest reserves.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, expressed gratitude to the Minister for the visit.
He pledged the Commission’s commitment to work to protect the country’s forest reserves and generate more value for the country
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
