Log export ban to meet local needs
Published on: Friday, January 18, 2019
By: Ricardo Unto
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government will intensify efforts to boost the downstream activities of the wood-based industry in Sabah to bring more benefit to the people.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, however, said it will take time to develop the industry.
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“Sabah has a big potential in wood industry but we are facing a shortage of supply even though the State has many resources,” he said after visiting two wood processing plants, here, Thursday.
“The factories here have to get their supplies from the peninsula.
“Efforts need to be enhanced not only to put Sabah as a leading state in the country to produce wood-based products but also to provide employment opportunities for locals.
“However, this industry cannot be developed in a short period of time.”
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The progress, he said, augurs well with the round log export ban imposed by the State Government.
“Why could we not supply logs to our own wood industry? If we can create the industry, we should flourish it.
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“We have a huge supply of timber but they were being exported, and the exporters opened up their own industries at their place,” he said.
Developing the industry and to ensure the supply is enough, he said, needs the involvement of related agencies like Yayasan Sabah.
“There is a big demand for our wood products but the industry players were forced to get their resource from outside.
“Yes, we can get big revenue from exported logs, but the benefit is bigger through the creation of employment.
“I have a meeting with Yayasan Sabah and Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) to connect and outreach the market…to know the needed type of wood and infrastructure, among others.”
Citing wood for chalets produced by a plant here for resorts in the Maldives, he said, “if we improve our capability, such products could be marketed to other countries like the US, and Australia, among others.”
“Apart from ensuring a sufficient supply of wood, we must also make sure that the State has enough well-trained workforce, amenities and port services.
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