According to a report in Wednesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", some of the logs came from tree species the export of which is banned by law.
The Chinese vessel, the "Huan Gian", moored in Beira on 12 September and began loading its cargo two days later. When all the logs were on board, the ship left Beira, apparently to return to China, on Monday.
This operation was authorised by the National Directorate of Land and Forests (DNTF), in a dispatch dated 14 September. This extended the period during which logs could be exported, at the request of some logging companies, and apparently on the proposal of the Sofala provincial government.
A second Chinese ship has now arrived in Beira, and "Noticias" writes that it intends to pick up 5,854 logs, in an operation that appears to be completely illegal.
A document from the DNTF reads that "taking into account that this measure (the ban) will restrict exports in the 2007 felling season and that some operators did not export all their producton from 2006, it becomes necessary to take some transitional measures under which all operators must declare all the stocks they had until 15 January 2007".
The provincial forestry services were to confirm the information given by all operators with such stocks, and those who wanted to export them could do so, but only up until June.
Nonetheless, the dispatch of 14 September opened exceptions, and on 17 September the Sofala Provincial Forestry Services wrote to the customs services saying that, under the dispatch, five named companies were "exceptionally" authorised to export a total of 14,556 logs of different species.
This document, signed by the head of the Provincial Services, Maria Augusta Magaia, added that "taking into account that some of the logs are outside the port premises, an authorization is requested for their entry", and "this authorization will expire immediately after the completion of the loading of the authorized quantities".
The head of the inspection department of the Provincial Services, Sabudo Bechane, justified the extension of the authorization on the grounds that there had been a delay in the arrival of the Chinese ship in Beira.
He said that the vessel should have been loaded before the ban took effect in June, and that by then the logs had already been inspected and brought to the port (which seems to contradict his superior's claim that some were outside the port).
SOURCE: AIM
