Africa-Press – Uganda. Wood traders under Mayuge District Timber Dealers Association (TDA) have accused the National Forestry Authority (NFA) of double standards and extortion.
Mr Musa Kisita, the association’s chairperson, at the weekend alleged that NFA and police arrest them for cutting down trees yet leave sugarcane growers to uproot young trees.
Mr Kisita also accused NFA officials of soliciting money from them to transport timber.
“Besides the Shs50,000 transport permit charge we pay to Mayuge District Local Government as revenue, we are asked for another Shs20,000 by NFA officials. Unlike us who cut down fully-grown trees, farmers encroach on some of the gazetted forests to clear land for sugarcane growing,” he said.
“If NFA is serious, sugarcane growers should be the right people to be arrested and charged first for cutting down trees because we do not cut young trees and sometimes cut trees after planting others,” he added.
Mr Tenywa Kibuka, who has been in the (timber) business for more than 27 years, accused sugarcane growers of carrying out large scale of deforestation.
“Much as NFA blames destruction of trees on timber making and charcoal burning, sugarcane farmers have done a lot to clear trees not only in Mayuge but also in other districts,” he said.
Mr Joseph Basalirwa, another timber dealer, wondered why NFA is selective.
However, Ms Aisha Alibhai, the NFA communications and public relations manager, said they do not allow people to cut trees from forest reserves, adding that whoever is found doing so is arrested.
“NFA neither charges timber dealers a transport licence nor asks for kickbacks. Our work is to protect government gazetted forest reserves. If our officers are stopping anyone from cutting trees in forest reserves, it is within the law because nobody is supposed to cut trees in a government gazetted forest,” she said.
On the organisation’s officials soliciting bribes, Ms Alibhai said NFA is there to fight corruption among its officials, and whoever engages in it, and is culpable, is charged.
“We shall deal with those involved in corruption issues because it taints the organisation’s image,” she added.
Ms Alibhai urged residents to always report any NFA official soliciting money from them.
