Mozambique: government suspends license issuance for logging

(AGI) - Maputo, 26 nov. - The government of Mozambique hasannounced it will suspend for a period of two years theissuance of new licenses for logging as a way to stem the rapiddeforestation which currently reaches about 220 thousandhectares per year. "If we do not take effective action we risklosing the forestry potential that we have, with serious damageto local communities, the environment, our economy and aworsening of the situation of vulnerability to climate changein the country", said minister of Land, Forestry and RuralDevelopment, Celso Correia. According to the government, thesuspension will allow the restructuring of the sector,including revision of the legal framework of forests. Therewill also be a one-off review of the overvalued rate on wood, aban to the export of timber logs of any class and impositionfor the export of semi-processed wood. The exploitation of wood in this Southern African nation of23 million habitants is dominated by chinese companies and somehave already been suspended for cutting and illegally exportingprohibited species. Forests constitute a natural heritage ofabout 40 million hectares of "miombo" type, accounting for 51percent of the country's total surface of about 802 thousandsquare kilometers. (AGI).