Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 16.1.
Forest Taxes in Cameroon: 1994-99 (source: Essama-Nassah et al. 2002)
Fiscal Law
1994-95
Fiscal Law
1995-96
Fiscal Law
1996-97
Fiscal Law
1997-98
Fiscal Law
1998-99
Area tax (CFA
franc/ha/year
1,500-
2,500
1,500-
2,500
98
300
300
Stumpage (%
mercurial)
5
7
2.5
2.5
2.5
Export tax on
logs (%)
25
25
25
17.5
17.5
Export tax on
processed wood
(%)
15
15
15
12.5
3-4
16.5 Current Government Forest Policy Framework
The overall objective of the Cameroon forest reform is to improve practices of
forest exploitation and management. The current forest policy, enshrined in the
1994 Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Regulations and the 1996 Environmental
Management Regulations, is set out to correct the past non-sustainable practices in
natural resource management. It assigns a high priority to the protection of the rich
and important biodiversity of the country. In April 1992, in a bid to attain this ob-
jective, the government created a full-blown Ministry in charge of the Environ-
ment and Forests (MINEF) with provincial, divisional and sub divisional delega-
tions all over the country. This was as a result of the Cameroon government's
commitment to enhance environmental sustainability as well as improve on the ef-
ficiency of policy and decision making. This new ministry whose appellation
changed in 2005 to Ministry of Forest and Wildlife has the following responsibili-
ties vis-à-vis the forestry sector in Cameroon:
•
to manage and protect national forests and those belonging to communities and
councils;
•
to control exploitation of forestry resources,
•
to implement the execution of programmes and the regeneration of trees and
development of forests,
•
to collaborate with the professional bodies in the forestry sector,
•
to develop and manage botanic gardens, and
•
to elaborate and put into effect, national policies on fauna and hunting.
In short, the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife implements the government's sustain-
able development policy, for which it has the responsibility to propose measures
for a rational management of national resources in collaboration with other spe-
cialized ministries and organizations concerned with forestry. In 1994, a new for-
estry law No 94/01 of 20th January was enacted. Its decree of implementation was
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