Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata says Zambia has placed a total ban on exportation of all forms of timber logs in a bid to promote timber processing and manufacturing in the country.
She also says government wants value addition to the raw materials that are being exported.
The Minister says the move will help Zambia create jobs through partnerships between the local people and foreign investors.
Ms Kapata has observed that Zambia was previously losing out on the full value of Timber by exporting raw logs to the Far East.
And Ms Kapata says there is a growing concern on the rampant cases of illegal poaching of endangered animal species such as Rhinos, Elephants and other species.
The Minister has disclosed that German has given SADC Countries 20 million Euros to protect endangered species by training specialized anti-poaching scouts.
Ms. Kapata was speaking in South Africa on the sidelines of the Southern Africa Development Community -SADC conference for Ministers of Environment Natural Resources, fisheries Aquaculture and Tourism.
This is contained in a statement issued to ZNBC News by First secretary press and public relations Naomi Nyawali at Zambian High Commission in Pretoria South Africa.
Good policy. Next, please also ban trophy hunting tourism in Zambia. There nothing honourable about killing Lions and other innocent wild animals for fun.
We know for a fact that the timber export ban is meant to facilitate the export of confiscated timber to China by Jean Kapata and Kaizer Zulu which they load on trucks at ZAFFICO here in Lusaka destined for Tanzania. The other time Jean Kapata and Kaizer Zulu were almost engaged in a punch up over who should load the next truck with Mukula. This was all in full view of PF cadres who later reported this to PF SG Mwila. These criminals in PF are such a menace. They decided not to raise the price of a 90 Kg bag of maize for the simple reason that they have decided to form companies that buy off this maize from poor Zambian peasant farmers and export it to the DRC at a very high profit.
BUSUSHI SANA UKUCITA EXPORT TIMBER. HOW CAN ZAMBIA BE EXPORTING EVERYTHING- COPPER AND OTHER MINERALS, COTTON YAN, ETC WITHOUT TURNING THEM INTO FINISHED PRODUCTS. HOW CAN ZAMBIA EXPORT TIMBER AND START IMPORTING THE SAME TIMBER IN FORM OF CHAIRS? I HEAR ZAMBIA EVEN EXPORTS MAIZE AND NOT MAIZE MEAL- IS THAT TRUE?
Just ask this thief to give you and inventory of all the timber impounded by ZP …you will find zero as this witch has sold everything!!
Do you have the industrial capacity to turn Timber into finished products. Some of these decisions are made out of emotion. You banned export of ivory and big cats hunting then you realized you have too much lions and elephants killing people. Then you un-banned. Don’t do things without proper research on outcomes.
What are on about…infact the number of those animals in the wild has fallen sharply on the last 20 years.
Trusting this utterly useless cadre is like asking a monkey to look after the maize silos whilst you are away…simply look at the mess this corrupt moron left us with at Tourism ministry.
If Africa banned the export of raw materials in their primary state we would be developed
Timber export ban except if you Chinese ! Go to the western province and see how many trucks leave through the borders…………………….
Jean kapata stop fooling us, we are planning to impound your trucks together with you boy friend kaizer…. you’re not even ashamed to say such words to your sadc friend, what were you trying to prove to them….? Us here in Zambia as long as we see your trucks en you boy friend moving, you will never stop us from exposing you… remember your former PS Inutu Suba….uleke amasushi
I don’t see this Timber export ban to be normal.