As the forest products trade gains momentum in Tanzania, the country’s Forest Services Agency is conducting a nationwide exercise to register and license all traders involved in the sector.
The exercise targets individuals and companies engaged in the harvesting, transportation, processing and trade of forest and beekeeping products, requiring them to register and obtain the necessary operating licences.
In Tanzania, the sector contributes approximately 4.26 percent to the national Gross Value Added (GVA), although it continues to record a trade deficit of about USD 148.71 million.
To improve the trade, the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) has introduced a user-friendly, cloud-connected system to make the registration process more efficient, professional and faster, enabling stakeholders to obtain licences more easily while enhancing compliance within the forestry sector.
TFS Senior Conservator, Bhoke Masisi, noted that the system, dubbed the Forest Resources Management Information System (FOMIS), also promotes accountability and transparency among all stakeholders involved in the trade.
“Together with that, TFS has also established a number of checkpoints across the country to ensure traders conduct their business in accordance with the established regulations and standards,” she added.
Under the TFS trader registration and licensing system, stakeholders engaged in the sector must meet a number of requirements and undergo a prescribed process before being authorised to engage in forest resource trading.
To obtain licences for harvesting and transporting forest products, applicants undergo a vetting process conducted by TFS officers in collaboration with the relevant district tree harvesting committees.
Following the vetting process, the district tree harvesting committees, which are often chaired by District Commissioners, are responsible for approving the names of applicants cleared to participate in the trade.
Tanzania’s forest products trade encompasses structural timber, engineered wood, and non-wood products such as honey and bamboo.
The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) regulates commercial dealers by issuing mandatory annual registration certificates and transit permits.