The Cross River State Government has intensified reforms in the forestry sector, cracking down on illegal activities and publishing officially approved revenue subheads.
In two memos issued by the Forestry Commission on Tuesday, all unauthorized evacuation passes were withdrawn, while a list of recognized collections was made public.
One of the memos, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Bassey Onoyom Bassey, warned field officers against issuing unapproved passes. She stressed that anyone caught violating the directive would face stiff sanctions, adding that the decision was aimed at restoring order, ending revenue leakages, and curbing illegal logging across the state.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Ntufam (Dr.) George O’Ben-Etchi, announced further measures, including the automation of evacuation passes and the consolidation of all revenue collections under the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS).
He listed the approved revenue subheads to include fines and fees, hammering fees, industrial development levy on timber, Joint Tax Board levy, road infrastructure levy, timber market charges, chain saw levies, sawmill charges, timber shade levies, non-timber forest product levies, as well as levies from quarries and farms operating in forest reserves.
Dr. O’Ben-Etchi warned that individuals or groups engaging in unauthorized collections or operating outside the approved framework would be sanctioned. He maintained that the reforms were designed to ensure transparency, eliminate illegal dealings, and boost the state’s internally generated revenue for developmental projects.
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