The Ministry has therefore directed the Forestry Commission to suspend the processing of permits for the exportation of rosewood.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, who announced the ban in Accra on Monday, believes the ban is necessary to rid the industry of all illegal activities endangering the ecology of northern Ghana, where rosewood felling is rampant.
“Note that salvage permits were issued only for the evacuation of lying logs. Any fresh harvesting of rosewood trees is illegal and must be reported for the immediate arrest of the culprit,” Mr. Asomah-Cheremeh cautioned.
He noted that rosewood harvesting and export has become “a national security threat” and appealed to the public to “to support the ministry in our efforts to regulate the exploitation of natural resources in this country”.