The Cross River House of Assembly has urged its Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to inter-face with relevant stakeholders to discuss issues of timber exploitation and importation in the State.
The House made the resolution on Friday following a motion by the member representing Calabar Municipality State Constituency, Hon Uduak Akiba.
The motion called on the Forestry Commission, and its Agents to allow private organizations to import partly processed wood from neighboring States and Countries into Cross River.
The committee is expected to study the motion with a view to coming up with measures and suggestions that will cushion the effect of the ban on timber logging.
The committee is expected to report back to the House within one month.
Akiba said that plans to import partly processed timber will not go against any State Government Policy and referred the Forestry Commission to the application from the Association of Timber Dealers.
She said that the proposed importation of partly processed timber would boost the economy of the state and create jobs for the youths.
In his contribution, member representing Boki II State Constituency, Hon Jacob Otu-Enyia noted that the State Government constituted the Task Force on Anti- Deforestation to protect the eco-system.
Otu-Eyna however said that the policy was bringing hardship to the citizenry, pointing out that importation of timber will lessen the pains of the ban on timber exploitation on the people.
Members, who contributed on the motion called on the State Forestry Commission to encourage importation of partly processed timber for the overall good of the people of Cross River.
They also said that this would strengthen the UN-REDD programme.
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