Forest Operations Compliance Monitoring

Timber concessionaires are expected to operate within the boundaries of the timber concession area and comply with terms and conditions of the respective timber permits and project agreements.

PNG Forest Authority stations officers in each project throughout the country to monitor logging operations of timber companies.

Timber Certification

During the course of monitoring which involves the general monitoring of sound forest management practices, addressing issues relating to landowners, royalty payments, and infrastructure development, the main constraint experienced here is manpower requirement to effectively monitor logging operations, considering the amount of activities to be monitored at the operational level.

Timber certification is a market driven process and is to be left to the timber and civil groups to satisfy the market requirement. The PNG Government realizes that certification and sustainable forest management are gaining international prominence. To export timber to certain markets, forest products need to be certified as an indication that the product is derived from sustainably managed forests.

The Government considers timber certification as a voluntary scheme and therefore will maintain a position of mutual recognition. It will not commit to any one certification scheme.

However, the Government will encourage the timber industry and civil society groups to adopt any scheme which is appropriate for their export market.