REM Rapport Annuel No. 1 OIF Congo Brazzaville - Forests Monitor

• the use of more dissuasive measures on logging companies to improve collection of forest
taxes; and
• the allocation of more funds, equipment and staff to the DDEFs.
On the points generating discussion, the following emerged:
• the lack of rigour in applying certain legal and regulatory provisions in light of the
changes in the socio-economic context since the drafting of the forest code ;
• a lack of rigour in enforcing certain texts by Forest Administration agents and executives
(and sometimes difficulties linked to the implementation of unrealistic regulations);
• non-compliance with certain legal and regulatory provisions by logging companies and
other actors;
• difficulties verifying the circulation of hunting products and collecting forest taxes
(notably regarding fauna and non-wood forest products);
• the lack of industry monitoring, in part due to a lack of procedures;
• the difficulty supplying large urban centres with transformed goods;
• difficulties enforcing compliance with the 85/15 quota in part due to a lack of follow-up
on monthly production reports by the DDEFs;
• the insufficiency of the DDEFs’ human, financial and material resources; and
• non-satisfactory management of the Forest Fund, notably disbursement delays that
prevent activity planning and the lack of funds allocated to the DDEFs.
The primary recommendations are as follows:
• enforce legal and regulatory provisions, particularly those pertaining to inspection of
logging sites, delivery of annual logging permits, compliance with cahier des charges
obligations, and regular submission of production reports;
• improve monitoring of the forestry industry;
• improve management of data on the exploitation of fauna and non-wood forest products;
• improve the DDEFs’ operational capacities by allocating adequate human, financial and
material resources;
• monitor the 85/15 quota based on production predictions, monthly production reports, and
export data; and
• increase support from local authorities and police to MEF agents for the monitoring of
forest and fauna products.
REM recommends that, at the end of the year, the Forest Administration organises a formal
evaluation, in the presence of REM, to follow-up on recommendations identified during the
Conference of Departmental Directors.
1.1.3. Adoption of the 2008 Forest Fund Budget
The budget adopted for 2008 is FCFA 6,513,621,428 (9,929,951 Euros), down 5.6%
compared to 2007. The distribution of the budget has not undergone any major modifications
compared to 2007, and follows the general downwards trend.
Reasons given for a reduction of the budget in 2008:
Forest revenues for 2008 are forecast at FCFA 18,134,945,697 (27,646,546.50 Euros), a drop
of 40% compared to the FCFA 29,749,330,383 (45,352,561.80 Euros) collected in 2007
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