National Wood Processing Project in Gestation

Godlove BAINKONG| 7 April 2010 | Cameroun Tribune |

The project, code-named, “Wood Clusters” seeks to add value to the country’s wood.

Efforts are underway in the country to add value to wood products before exportation so as to create jobs, fight poverty and advance the country’s industrialisation. The project, code-named, “Wood Clusters” is piloted by the Competitiveness Committee under the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development and sponsored by the World Bank.

According to the Permanent Secretary at the Competitiveness Committee, Lucien Sanzouango, the project is to solve the fundamental problem of the not-so-good quality wood in the country which makes it less competitive in international markets. The project, to run for two years, is estimated to cost over 40 million dollars (about FCFA 19,620,337,871.09) and covers two sectors; wood and tourism. “Concerning wood, we are looking forward to the second and third processing of wood and the stimulation of investment in the sector”, Mr Lucien Sanzouango said, adding that the quality and availability of wood for the industries here is also their point of focus as well as the certification of wood to ably compete with those in the international markets.

Stakeholders of the project held a concertation meeting at the Conference Hall of the Competitiveness Committee on Monday April 5, 2010 to discuss what has been put in place and what is still needed to take the project off the ground. The meeting brought together the private sector, the administration as well as donor agencies, who agreed to speed up feasibility studies on the project. The Permanent Secretary said in the next three or four months, the project will be deliberated upon in the board meeting of the World Bank. He said the project, government-run and World Bank sponsored, is of great importance to the country and executing it would be a giant step towards giving wood its place in the country’s socio-economic development.

Studies as well as the identification and selection of partners are ongoing ahead of the designing of the site and the effective take off billed for next year.