Amended Forest Sector Code Gazette Released

The Forest Sector Code was Gazetted on 21st April under Gazette no 40803 and is to be known as the Amended Forest Sector Code . This Code come into effect from that date.  The relevant statement 10.1 states “This Amended B-BBEE Forest Sector Code is effective from the date of publication in the government gazette and applies to entities listed under paragraph 3. All verifications in the Forest Sector to be conducted from the date of publication must be done in terms of the Amended B-BBEE FSC.”

Paragraph 3 lists the scope of the code as:

• Growers sub-sector (plantations, nurseries and indigenous forests)
• Contracting sub-sector (forestry contractors in silviculture, harvesting, fire-fighting services and other forestry contracting services that are not covered by their own Sector Codes)
• Fibre sub-sector (pulp, paper, paperboard, timber board product, woodchip and wattle bark manufactures)
• Sawmilling sub-sector (industrial, structural and mining timber sawmills and match producers)
• Pole sub-sector (pole treatment plants)
• Charcoal sub-sector (charcoal producers)
• Non-timber forest product enterprises such as those involved in honey production, harvesting of mushrooms and medicinal plant, as well as forestry based tourism enterprises are not directly covered by the Code, as they are included in other Sector Codes. However, because forestry growers licence these activities, non-timber forest product enterprises will be impacted on and benefit from the agreements reached within the FSC.

The South African Forestry Company Limited (SAFCOL) is a state owned enterprise that has certain obligations in terms of this Forest Sector Code. SAFCOL is however excluded from the Forest Sector Code for purposes of its own measurement.