Vice President Dr Michael Usi has called for urgent reforms in Malawi’s forest pricing policies, urging stakeholders at the ‘Official Launch of the Forest Fees Structure Report and Public Private Engagement on Forest Plantations’ to align forest fees with regional standards.
Speaking at the National Forest Plantations Conference, Dr Usi expressed concern over the forest sector’s minimal contribution of 0.1 percent to Malawi’s Gross Domestic Product over the past five years. He emphasised the need for sustainable forest management and effective enforcement.
“We are destroying our vegetation and trees, and if we continue this way, the new fee structure will be meaningless,” he warned.
The Vice President highlighted the economic potential of Malawi’s forests, particularly in carbon financing, stressing that it could generate significant financial resources for forest preservation and management efforts, further supporting the national economy.
“Malawi is poised to benefit from carbon financing, which will contribute to both economic development and environmental sustainability,” said Dr Usi.
The Vice President concluded by urging that future discussions and meetings on forest management be more action-oriented.
“Let us not meet just for tea and photographs. We need to gather to share concrete achievements,” he asserted, calling for measurable results in forest sector improvements.
Dr Usi also noted that sustainable forest management must address root causes, including corruption within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change. He called for decisive action to eliminate corruption in the sector.
USAID Malawi Mission Director, Pamela Fessenden, echoed Dr Usi’s sentiments on the critical role of forest plantations in economic development.
“These plantation forests, if re-established and well-managed, can provide timber and value-added wood products to build Malawi’s future. Investing in forest plantations is not just an economic strategy but a commitment to sustainable development,” she said.
Executive Director of MwAPATA Institute, William Chadza, noted that over the past five years, the forestry sector’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has remained very low. He explained that this was why the MwAPATA Institute, in collaboration with the Modern Cooking for Healthy Forests Project, conducted a joint assessment of Malawi’s forest produce fees.
“The aim was to provide credible evidence to decision-makers on how the current structure of forest plantation fees and prices compares with those in the Sub-Saharan Africa region,” said Chadza.
By McDonald Chiwayula
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