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In line with the new forest code promulgated in July 2020 to pull Congo out of its economic downturn, the government is looking for ways to develop secondary and tertiary processing of wood in Congo. The proposal was the subject of a validation workshop held on July 1 in Brazzaville, led by the Minister of Special Economic Zones and Economic Diversification, Emile Ouosso, on behalf of the Minister of Economy and Forestry, Rosalie Matondo. Nicéphore Fylla Saint Eudes, a colleague from the Ministry of Industrial Development, and Ludovic Ngatsé, the budget deputy, were present.
As the industry is dominated by primary processing units such as sawmills, peeling and slicing factories, whose production is exclusively for export, the Congolese forestry sector does not provide any of the added value that public authorities expected. Instead, it creates jobs abroad, but at the expense of young Congolese people.
To reverse this trend, Congo received funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Investment Environment and Forest/Timber Sector Governance Support Project (PACIGOF). He led a study that proposed reforms and measures to promote the second and third timber transitions, including identifying the possibility of developing a secondary processing industry.
FRM Ingénierie has proposed more than thirty measures to significantly reduce log exports and thus promote local wood processing.
These customs, commercial and even cultural measures range from duty-free access to wood processing products and equipment to public procurement of artisanal products, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector, in particular through the provision of various types of financing. “The implementation of this major reform requires an enabling environment, where special economic zones, the promotion of the private sector and public policies supporting small, medium and small enterprises and the informal sector will play a leading role,” said the Minister of Special Economic Zones, during the opening of the seminar.
One artisan said it was also an example for the country to set an example by purchasing tables, benches, office furniture or other public service equipment from local artisans instead of importing forest products from Asian countries or the United States.
Experts claim that these measures will make it possible to reduce macroeconomic imbalances and, above all, improve Congo’s position in international trade. “The Congolese government is seeking to escape the vicious cycle of raw materials that has resulted in our country’s uneven participation in international trade. We no longer want to export our jobs, our added value and all our wealth in a raw way,” added Minister Emile Ousso.
hope
Mbosa-Okanze
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