![Forest fringe communities engaged on forest revenue disbursement](http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/environment-forest-revenue.jpg)
Sefwi Wiaso (W/N), May 24, GNA - Officials from the Forestry Commission (FC), have engaged forest fringe communities in the Western North Region on how forest revenues accrued during the last quarter of last year, were disbursed.
Mr. Vincent Appiah, the Sefwi Wiaso, Assistant District Manager of the FC, speaking at a town hall meeting held at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North, stated that during the period, cash totaling GH¢ 386,156.16 in forest revenue went to the District Assembly.
The Traditional Council, he said, also received its share of the revenue accruals amounting to GH¢ 128,718.34, for stool lands.
Aside the main revenue generating from timber, the FC continued to pay monies in social responsibility agreement to the people, Mr. Appiah noted.
“This is how the Commission is upholding good financial management practices to ensure there was equitable distribution of funds from forest proceeds,” he added.
The event was organized by Tropenbos Ghana and Nature Development Foundation (NDF), both Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) advocating for change in forest governance and management of natural resources.
The engagement also afforded community members the opportunity to demand accountability from the District Assembly on how forest resource revenues have been used to benefit the people.
Mr Appiah spoke of the strenuous efforts his office was making to further reduce illegal lumbering and farming in the forests in the area.
In line with this, the FC office has facilitated the arrest and prosecution of many people, found doing illegal farming in the District during last year.
He said it was worrying that as a nation, “we are losing about 60 per cent of our forest cover from the 2017-2019 period,” according to current publications on forest resources in Ghana.
The FC Assistant Manager, advised community members to adopt good environmental practices to help sustain the forest and natural resources.
Mr Daniel Kofi Abu, the National Programme Coordinator for EU Non-State Actors project, was optimistic that such meetings will help the citizenry understand better how public funds were disbursed.
“This will further give confidence to the people to safeguard the remaining forests in the country,” he added.
Mr Abu pledged that they will continue to research, facilitate dialogues and advocate for communities demand in accountability.
He said under the Project, an independent monitoring platform had been developed for real time monitoring for communities to send alert about infractions in the forest.
Mr Abu applauded the FCs readiness to assist them in curbing the growing menace in forest degradation in the country.
Nana Kofi Badu, a Community Member, said the Assembly should frequently hold such community engagements on the specific projects they were funding with forest revenues.
He advised the Assembly to brand projects contracted through these revenues for easy identification by the community members.
GNA
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