Once well organized, the forest sector can provide significant support to the state budget. This is the view of Tosi Mpanu Mpanu Mpanu, a forestry expert and negotiator for the DRC at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In an interview with Environews TV, a television channel specialising in environmental issues and broadcasting from Kinshasa (DRC), Tosi Mpanu Mpanu Mpanu spoke at length about the contribution of the DRC’s forestry sector to the national budget.

On this subject, he proposes, among other things, that a reflection including key actors in the forest sector be carried out in order to raise clear options, likely to help the country to take advantage of its forest resources, while preserving its forests.

« We have to stop walking around the world, seeing electric vehicles and beautiful furniture whose raw material comes from the DRC. Meanwhile, the country has only 2% or 3% of the value of the final product, » he deplored.

For the senior negotiator at the UNFCCC, the DRC will have to engage in a strategic discussion with economic operators working in the forest sector.

He added: « Forest operators must be reassured and guaranteed their security and that of their investments as well as the relaxation of taxation, in order to encourage them to set up raw material processing units in the country.

Tosi Mpanu Mpanu Mpanu believes that doing so will have the impact of, among other things, creating direct and indirect jobs and making a positive contribution to the state budget.

« All the ingredients are there. You just have to have the political courage to make some decisions and hold on to the end, » he said.

Today, the expert believes, the DRC can ban exported logs, require first processing in the country, which will create quite a few jobs.

Tosi Mpanu Mpanu Mpanu also raised the issue of lifting the moratorium on Congolese forests. He expressed the hope that frank discussions would begin on lifting the moratorium on DRC’s forests that had been in place since 2002. For this negotiator, the cases for which this moratorium was introduced are no longer the same.

« Perhaps it is time to review this moratorium, because finally this moratorium does not benefit the DRC. On the other hand, it slows down investment, since new industrial logging permits cannot be granted. However, the problem in deforestation is not the wood industry, » he said.

He insisted: « The problem comes from the illegal and artisanal cutting that is carried out by unruly actors. The problem has now shifted, so it must be solved now.

Olivier KAMO