(Business in Cameroon) - Consumers of wooden products in Cameroon mainly source from the informal sector, according to a recent survey conducted by the Center for International forestry research (CIFOR) and cited in the latest International Tropical Timber Organization -OTTO- report.
“A large part of the local demand in wood products is met by the informal sector, less than 20% being supplied by industrial sawmill, even on urban market,” the study states, revealing that at least 80% of this consumption is supplied by informal operators.
According to experts, this reality is an open door to illegal logging, since the government fails to ensure the legality of the wood used to build public infrastructures. “It is rare for the government to require proof of wood legality before purchasing it from operators,” CIFOR points out.
BRM