SANDAKAN – Even though the ban on timber or log exports in Sabah has been lifted since January 3, no companies have applied for export licences yet, said Sabah chief forest conservator Datuk Frederick Kugan.
He said that all companies holding the Sustainable Forest Management Licence Agreement (SFMLA) are eligible to apply for log exports this year, with several conditions including that only 20% of the company’s planned harvest areas – presented in their annual work plans – can be exported.
“The new Restricted Log Export circular replaces the previous circular from the then Sabah chief forest conservator (in 2018) on the total log export ban in Sabah.
“This new circular comes with several restrictions to control the volume of log exports from the state’s natural forests. Each SFMLA company can apply to export logs if they wish. However, the Sabah Forestry Department has yet to receive any applications to date,” he told The Vibes today.
Last Tuesday, The Vibes reported that the Sabah government will be lifting the log export ban imposed during Warisan’s administration in May 2018.
Kugan said that most of the restrictions imposed under the new circular will be based on the SFMLA companies’ annual work plans submitted to the department, as they will determine whether the companies can export logs.
If the department approves the plan, it will then determine the size of the land permitted to be logged for export based on the 20% quota stated in the new circular.
He said that all SFMLA holders must submit an annual work plan each year for ten years, detailing the land size to be used for logging and harvesting, plantation, replanting, or treatment, among others.
Kugan said besides the 20% limit for export, other details in the new circular include that:
- A total of 50% of natural forest land set for harvesting must go to domestic consumption
- The export of logs from natural forests must go through the Tawau or Sandakan ports
- The shipping of logs must go through log shipment clearance
- Ships exporting logs must make applications through Syarikat Innoprise Capital Sdn Bhd, appointed by Yayasan Sabah
- Export from private land is allowed without restriction
“We do not restrict exports from private land because it is not fair. Some of them put their own money into their own land, they should be allowed to export their timber if they choose to. However, they will need to pay for processing and administration fees,” he said.
Kugan opined that the Restricted Log Export is stricter than the measures implemented before the log export ban was imposed in 2018.
“The 20% limit for export is stricter compared to the previous rule (before 2018), where the export harvest was determined based on the size of the land.
“The restriction to export only from two ports in Sabah – Sandakan and Tawau – is also considered a firmer approach as compared to before, where exports could be made from any port in the state,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kugan said that a meeting with a coordination committee involving the Timber Association of Sabah, Sabah Timber Industries Association, and relevant government agencies will be held next week to ensure that all parties understand the new circular.
“We were supposed to discuss quota distribution, but we have not received any applications for log exports so far. We are expecting log exports to only start in the state around the middle of the year,” he added. – The Vibes, January 8, 2022
