Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285/REV.1 |
S-IV§4.53 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
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4.53. The Ministry of Forests and Fauna (MINFOF) is the government institution responsible for the forestry sector. The 1994 Forestry, Fauna and Fisheries Law still governs, inter alia, the granting of logging rights, royalties and taxes on forestry activities, and the regime for the export of forest products. The other legal texts defining criteria for forestry sector activities concern, among other things, environmental protection and sustainable forest management. The former National Forestry Development Office (ONADEF) was reorganized and became the National Forest Development Agency (ANAFOR), which is responsible for providing support to individuals and communities for creating forest plantations.
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Keywords
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Forest
Fish
Environment
Sustainable
Wildlife
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285/REV.1 |
S-IV§4.54 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.54. Aware of the serious degradation of its forest assets, as well as the fauna living there, through its Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, since January 2011 Cameroon has been participating in the project Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), whose implementation is planned between January 2013 and December 2015. This project comprises a regional dimension involving the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), which is the umbrella institution for the Congo Basin forests. The objective of the Organization for the Conservation of Wild Fauna in Africa (OCFSA) is to protect fauna and combat poaching. Both are based in Yaoundé and suffer from the lack of regular contributions by their members.
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Keywords
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Forest
Environment
Sustainable
Emissions
Conservation
Wildlife
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285/REV.1 |
S-IV§4.55 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
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4.55. According to the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), which brings together World Bank officials and outside consultants, the multilateral assistance given to the forestry sector in various countries in the region since 2002 has enabled millions of hectares of threatened forest to be classified as protected areas. In Cameroon, however, external assistance has mainly focused on the management of large export-oriented concessions, while the volume of wood produced by the informal sector has multiplied tenfold and is today equivalent to that of the large concessions, thereby contributing to deforestation and concealed financial chains.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285/REV.1 |
S-IV§4.56 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
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4.56. The EPA project also includes provisions on forest governance and trade in forest products from Central Africa, particularly the possibility of improving openings for trade on the EU market for wood and forest products from sustainable exploitations and legally originating in Central Africa. Cameroon takes part in the "Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)" action plan, but by March 2013 it had not yet started to issue such authorizations. MINFOF hopes that the first FLEGT authorizations can be issued in 2014, which would facilitate exports of forest products to the EU.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285/REV.1 |
S-IV§4.57 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
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4.57. In 1994-1995, Cameroon was one of the first countries in Africa to introduce an auction open to all for granting forestry licences. To ensure transparency, an external institution was selected to observe the auction procedure. This reduced illegal felling, corruption and over exploitation of resources. At present, a forestry licence has to be obtained for felling and exploitation of forests, and can only be granted to natural or legal persons resident in Cameroon, authorized by MINFOF to exercise the profession of forestry operator.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285 |
S-IV§4.53 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.53. There are some sixty listed species, but production involves fifteen species (the main ones being Sapelli, Sipo, African mahogany, Aniegre and Iroko). The areas of planted forests are negligible (about 7,000 ha). The factors that have contributed to the decline in production and exports are primarily structural (the implementation of the new Forestry Code with requirements for sustainable exploitation), as well as exogenous (falling world demand since 2008).
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Keywords
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Forest
Sustainable
Wildlife
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285 |
S-IV§4.55 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.55. Another innovation in the draft Forestry Code concerns the introduction of the principle of sustainable management of forests into management plans, in keeping with the Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa. The Code aims to reconcile the exploitation of forest products with the requirements of conserving forest assets and the biodiversity with a view to sustainable development, and to ensure the conservation and protection of areas of vegetation to allow for their regeneration. On the other hand, the provisions of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT VPA) and REDD+, described in the common report, are not included; the Government's plan is to incorporate them subsequently in a new code.
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Keywords
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Forest
Sustainable
Conservation
Bio
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285 |
S-IV§4.56 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.56. Under the Code, forestry enterprises must obtain a "management and operating permit" (PEA), which determines the area of their concession and the conditions for exploiting it. PEAs are allocated for the lifetime of the company. The areas under PEAs are subject to taxation determined in the regulations and are the same for all companies: leasing tax (CFAF 500/ha of useful area under the PEA); felling tax (7% of the reference price per m3); and the reforestation tax (11% of the reference price per exported m3 of all species)
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285 |
S-IV§4.57 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Forestry |
Relevant information
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4.57. Approved forestry companies are also required to prepare and abide by a management plan to be included in the conservation, protection and forest management plan for the State's forests. According to the authorities, as of September 2012 all of the CAR's 11 PEAs attributed to concessionaires contained formally approved management plans. Three other non operating permits were awaiting allocation. The CAR has put in place national standards for management plans.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/285 |
S-IV§4.54 |
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2013 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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4.54. The contractor is required to establish its head office in Chad and maintain its accounts there. It must also take out sufficient insurance policies to cover its activities against risks (including environmental risks) and demonstrate financial capacity to cover such risks. These insurance policies are contracted in accordance with Chadian law and practices currently in force in the oil industry.
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