PNG PM Marape: No More Round Log Exports After 2025
PRIME Minister James Marape has reaffirmed that Papua New Guinea will stop exporting round logs by 2025 as part of the Government’s plan to promote downstream timber processing and sustainable forest management.
Mr Marape said the forestry industry must shift from raw log exports to local value-adding to create more jobs, boost manufacturing and protect the environment.
Mr Marape made the remarks upon arrival from the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil, saying the country’s forestry industry must now move from raw extraction to sustainable value creation.
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| PNG PM Marape: No More Round Log Exports After 2025 |
“Our commitment to phase out the issuance of Round Log Export Licences by 2025 remains firm,” Mr Marape said. “We are now moving towards processing timber within the country to create more jobs, support local manufacturing, and promote forest conservation.”
Cabinet has already approved the establishment of PNG Diwai Limited, a State-owned company mandated to take up to 30 per cent of all logs harvested in the country. The new entity will ensure that logs are retained for domestic processing or responsibly marketed under the Forestry Act.
Mr Marape stressed that the policy is not meant to discourage investors but to ensure that logging operations are conducted sustainably, meet environmental standards and deliver fair benefits to landowners and citizens.
He said the move aligns with PNG’s climate commitments made at COP30, where the country pledged to protect 70 per cent of its forests and called for a global financial mechanism to reward forest conservation.
“If we have not shut down fossil fuels, then we must plant or conserve a tree. The conservation and sustainable management of forests is the lifeline for our planet,” Mr Marape said.
The Prime Minister said a National Forestry Forum will be convened before the end of the year to bring together industry players, landowners and government agencies to discuss the implementation roadmap for downstream processing.
“The forestry sector has harvested enough over the years. It is now time for industry, government and landowners to work together to ensure our forest resources generate wealth for our people while preserving the environment for future generations,” he said.
Mr Marape reaffirmed that no new Round Log Export Licences will be issued after 2025. Future permits will require in-country timber processing or participation in forest conservation and carbon credit initiatives.
“This policy is a moral, environmental and economic obligation,” Mr Marape said. “Papua New Guinea will lead by example as a responsible rainforest nation that values both its trees and its people.”
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