For
the first time, allocation of the timber resource
has been done in the full glare of
the public,
the industry, members of Parliament (Parliamentary
Select Committee on Lands and Forestry) and
the press. For the first time also, both winners
and losers are congratulating the Forestry
Commission for transparently and professionally
allocating the resource. The rather familiar
accusation of collusion, nepotism and favouritism
that has normally attended the allocation of
the resource is pleasantly missing.
In
all, one hundred and forty-one (141) firms were
pre-qualified with seventy-five
(75) of them
eventually vying for the twenty-eight (28)
lots (contract areas) which were put on offer
for the bidding. Twenty-four (24) lots were
finally contested for and have been duly encumbered
for allocation.
The
journey to this new system of allocating of the
resource began with the adoption of
the 1994
forest and wildlife policy which replaced the
pre-independence policy of 1948. After a series
of legislations (Act(s)
547, 617 and LI
1649) the
procedural guidance was formally given for
the implementation of the new allocation
system with the enactment of LI
1721 - Timber
Resources Management Amendment Regulations,
2003. Competitive bidding has thus replaced
the old discretionary and administrative system
of allocation.
