Liberia: Forestry Chief Says U.S.$150 Million Norway Deal Not Anti-Logging

Nov 19, 2014 | AllAfrica
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Monrovia — In the wake of the signing of a forest conservation agreement between the Government of Liberia and the European Union through the Government of Norway, where the country stands to benefit US$150 million in exchange for protecting its forest, the Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority says the agreement is not against legal logging activities in the country.

Harrison Karnwea in an interview with FrontPageAfrica said the agreement is intended to protect the Liberian forest against illegal logging activities, but under the terms of the agreement logs from legal sources with logging companies in compliance with laws will be permitted for export. Said Managing Director Karnwea: "The VPA, Volunteer Partnership Agreement, we signed with the European Union says that logs coming from Liberia must come from legal sources, legal source, meaning that company is complying with everything under the law, so it says we must review it. "