Over US$200m lost annually through timber-trafficking

Ghana's forestry sector loses approximately $200 million annually due to timber trafficking, which involves illegal logging practices that bypass forestry regulations and evade taxes.

Dr. Seth Appiah-Kubi of A Rocha Ghana highlighted this issue at a national workshop on CSO-led transboundary monitoring, stressing that illegal timber activities undermine both the economy and forest conservation.

The U.S. Forest Service-backed project addresses these challenges with enhanced monitoring in hotspot areas, community awareness campaigns, and new tech tools like the SMART app and Xyloris PocketWood ID for tracking timber routes.

Improved law enforcement and stakeholder collaboration are deemed essential for curbing the issue.