[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Bangkok Post(21/7/99)






Log volume exaggerated by importer
Figure inflated by a thousandfold


Wasant Techawongtham and Phusadee Arunmas


Thai-Korean Veterans' Welfare Co, one of four Thai importers of Burmese
logs, has inflated by a thousand-fold the volume of logs it wishes to
import, in its application to the Forestry Department.

Forestry chief Plodprasop Suraswadi said yesterday the Burmese government
had officially informed the department of the actual volume of logs
awaiting to be imported.

The figure for Thai-Korean, he said, was the only one which differed from
what was stated in its application to import the logs.

The actual total volume on Burmese soil was 37,180 cubic metres (cu/m)
compared with the total volume stated by the import firms of 1.5 million
cu/m. The latter figure raised many doubts, with some officials saying the
entire Burmese forest could not yield so many logs.

"I had expressed my doubts about the figure from the beginning," said Mr
Plodprasop.

He said the discrepancy occurred only with the Thai-Korean.application,
which stated the import volume as 1,440,000 cu/m while the actual volume
reported by the Burmese government was 1,440 cu/m.

Volumes reported by the three other companies remained the same-B&F
Goodrich and Polpana each at 3,303 cu/m, and FA Pharmaceutical at 29,135 cu/m.

The forestry chief said yesterday Thai-Korean would have to explain the
discrepancy.

Thai-Korean could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Thai-Korean, however, was the only company of the four to agree to all
conditions set down by Mr Plodprasop prior to any issuance of the import
permits.

The conditions included an on-site inspection in Burma, a bar-code system
to identify the logs, and joint inspection by all agencies concerned once
the logs arrived in Thailand.

Mr Plodprasop said the next step was for the Burmese government to issue an
invitation for Thai officials to go to Burma for on-site inspections.

Rangoon had yet to respond to the Agriculture Ministry's letter requesting
permission more than two months ago.

Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn said he would send another request
to Rangoon to allow Thai officials to conduct an on-site inspection across
the border.

Responding to news reports that Mr Plodprasop had slapped a ban on the
removal of logs from the Salween National Park, Mr Pongpol quoted the
forestry chief as saying that all illegally felled logs had been removed.


Regarding accusations that certain officials of the Forest Industry
Organisation, which was directly affected by the ban, had been involved in
illegal logging, Mr Pongpol said he has already asked the forestry chief to
conduct an investigation and report back to him.
-----------------------------------------------------------