Lumbering company allowed access to Namatina forest

The government has approved the exportation of 10,000 cubic metres of teak timber at Namatina forest, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, to the investment company, Agrotech Ltd.

This came up over the weekend when a delegation from the national Ministry of Forests and Environment and Agrotech Ltd visited the state and discussed how the signed agreement would benefit both the state and the community.

At a press conference following their meeting in Wau, the national ministry of forestry and environment told reporters at a press conference that the national ministry of forestry and environment had signed a deal with the Agrotech company to invest in the utilisation of teak timber at Namatina.

He stated that his delegation was in Wau to discuss the agreement that had already been made in Juba between the company and the Ministry of Environment for the use of the Namatina forest south.

“It has been a great opportunity for national and state governments to be together to explain and hand over the document that was signed in Juba between the two sides for the utilisation of the state’s 10,000 tick timbers in the Namatina area,” he said.

The national director-general of forestry and environment stated that “Agrotech Ltd. Company, was approved to cut 10,000 cubic metres of tick timber at Namatina Forest South Reserve, which has been classified as a national resource.”

According to Onak, the national government recognises the value of employing tick timber at Namatina Forest South to bring development to rural communities, adding that all parts of the project’s implementation will benefit the local population.

He said it was the first time the two governments had met since the agreement was signed in Juba.

However, the director promised to have continuous meetings between the state and national governments to raise awareness among communities and understand the benefits of the project.

For his part, Wilson Ambola Olukalie, managing director of Agrotech Limited, said the signed agreement between his company and the ministry would benefit the community as well as improve the country’s economy.

He said the firm plans to work with the WBGS state government to manage and utilise the Namatina forest south in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the company, the government, and the Namatina community.

Assured benefits                                    

“We are looking at generating government benefits through generating revenue which will be collected from the exportation of tick timber from Namatina forest south. Also, the community will benefit through an established community social fund that will be able to meet basic needs from the projects that will help the people of Namatina.”

“Also, we are looking at creating employment opportunities for the communities around Namatina Forest. At the same time, we will be looking at community capacity building through training of workers, through which they will be able to get a lot of skills, particularly in forest management and forest activities,” Mr Olukalie stressed.

The CEO of Agrotech Ltd stated that the first investment in Western Bahr Ghazal State will open doors and provide opportunities for investment groups in other industries.

Meanwhile, WBGS Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry Daniel Lokong welcomed the agreement but said there would be more negotiations between the national and state governments as well as the firm to fully comprehend the deal’s benefits.

He said the Agrotech Ltd. company and the national government struck an agreement to harvest national resource forest in the Namatina area of their state.

“These resources are in our state, so our role as state government is to know the benefits of the state from its natural resources as well as the community that is adjusted to the site,” he said.

“This is what we have been discussing as state government, the governor’s appreciated role, central government, as well as the Agrotech company.”

However, he stated that an agreement between the corporation, the community, and the state government was still needed before the project can begin.

Namatina Forest Reserve is one of the country’s national reserves, located in the south of Western Bahr el Ghazal State.