Timber harvesting companies lay off workers as presidential directive bites

The edict was issued by President Museveni on May 24 while citing Uganda’s increased loss of tree coverage.

The move was, however, not welcomed by some members of parliament (MP), who pleaded with the government to revise the ban, saying it was going to affect some people’s livelihoods.

In response, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja defended the decision, saying some of the companies that had been granted licences had abused the agreement and went ahead to export timber without adding value.

Tree-growing and timber-harvesting companies such as Busoga Forestry Company, New Forests Foundation, and Besepo Uganda Ltd. have been severely affected as they forecast a slump in revenue. Most have resorted to laying off workers.

The executive director of Besepo Uganda, Ponsiano Besesa, while talking to KFM, a local radio station in Uganda, said that the edict has an impact on the sector's operations and should be changed.

He said that the sector has been supplying jobs to local communities, but that they now have no choice but to limit the number of employees.

"I have 250 local [employees] from the ground who have no qualifications, and the government's policy is employment. My brother [another panellist] said he had over 500 and very many Ugandans who have increased to 13%; where did they go when employing people?" Basesa was perplexed.

He made the remarks during a meeting organised by the World-Wide Fund to assist affected people in the sector in discussing the operations' next steps in response to President Museveni's instruction.

Museveni has issued an order cancelling all licences and permissions issued to individuals and businesses to take timber from forests.

Last month (July), the police issued a directive to all territorial commanders to enforce a ban on the illegal export of timber and the destructive production of charcoal.