Government , timber millers in new deal

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines has issued a special permit to Timber Millers Union  as one way of empowering it to repay its debt to the issuer.

The new concession follows the union’s change of name to Reformed Timber Millers Union

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines spokesperson responsible for environment and climate change Sangwani Phiri, on Wednesday confirmed the development, saying basically government is empowering the union to pay its debt.

“We have allocated 4 100 hectares to the union. At first they had 10 000 hectares, but we realised they do not have the capacity to handle that. That is why we reduced the hectares,” he said.

The union’s president Paul Nthambazale refused to comment on the matter.

Last year government confiscated the union’s licence after the it depleted 10 000 hectares in just two years. The union was supposed to manage the concession for 15 years. However, at the end of two years, the allocated area was already depleted and union members allegedly started harvesting trees from other sections.

The union which accumulated a debt of K196 million .

Viphya Plantation is one of the biggest timber sources in the country.  n