By Godwill Arthur- Mensah
Accra, April 11, GNA – Government has expressed its commitment to increasing funding to the Forest Plantation Development Fund (FPDF) Board to enhance its impact and contribution to Ghana’s broader environmental and economic goals.
It would also strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to enhance its impact and contribute towards reclamation of the degraded forest cover.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, gave the assurance during his maiden working visit to the Board in Accra, to familiarise himself with its operations and challenges.
The Forest Plantation Development Fund Board was established under Act 583 of 2000 and amended by Act 623 in 2002, to provide financial support for private forest plantation development on lands suitable for commercial timber production.
Additionally, the Board is to undertake research activities and provide technical advice to individuals engaging in commercial plantation.
The Minister underscored the need to amend the Act establishing the Board to enhance its mandate in tandem with the Government’s resetting agenda.
During a meeting with the management and staff of the Board Secretariat in Accra, Mr Buah commended them for their efforts towards promoting forest plantation development across the country to restore the lost forest cover due to illegal mining and timber logging.
He emphasised the importance of aligning their activities with the government’s broader environmental objectives to improve the nation’s forest cover.
“I believe the objectives for establishing the Board are still relevant, and the new administration will revisit its affairs to make it more effective,” the Minister assured.
Mr Jason Nunoo, a Technical Officer at the Board Secretariat, highlighted some of the pressing issues such as continuous decline of funds from primary sources, poor monitoring of disbursed funds, and inadequate structuring of the Secretariat.
That, he noted, required urgent attention from the Ministry to ensure the Board performed its constitutional mandate and contribute its quota towards the government’s resetting agenda.
“I believe by implementing recommendations such as increasing funding and strengthening monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the FPDF can enhance its impact and contribute to Ghana’s broader environmental and economic goals,” Mr. Nunoo added.
In an interview with the media, Mr Yusif Sulemana, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, gave the assurance that it would soon settle the outstanding debts for seedlings procured for previous Green Ghana initiative.
He assured that all the concerns raised by the management and staff would be addressed by the new Board once constituted.
He also stressed the need to amend the governing Act 623 to review the Board’s mandate and formally establish it as an agency under the Ministry.
GNA
CA/