The Edo Government has said that only timber contractors and timber licensees whose alloted reserve had been regenerated would have their licences renewed.
Mr Lucky Wasa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, disclosed this in an interview in Benin, on Thursday.
He noted that the plan was to ensure reforestation and also to achieve the government’s plan of planting 10 million trees in the next 10 years.
He added that contractors, whose licences had expired would be prohibited from any forest activities, if found to have been involved in illegal logging.
According to him, for the evidence of doubt, an announcement has been made that any timber contractor, saw millers and timber licensees whose license expires on Aug. 31, have been prohibited from exploiting timber in the forest reserves.
“Their licence renewal will now be subjected to some conditions, part of which is, regeneration of their allotted reserve, found not to have been involved in illegal logging.”