It
is generally accepted that financial considerations represent one of the most
important factors that can have an impact on the implementation of
sustainable forest management. With this in mind, the FAO Forestry Department
has implemented a programme of work on forest finance, to examine how
government policies (in forestry and other sectors) affect financing in the
forestry sector and the consequences of such policies for sustainable forest
management. One
of the most important ways in which governments can have an impact on financing
in the forestry sector is through the fiscal policies that they implement
within the sector. Where forests are owned or managed by the state, the way
in which charges for the use of forest resources are determined and
implemented can have a major impact on the scale and types of investment in
the sector. A vast literature has developed over the last 30 years examining
this topic. Other fiscal policies, such as taxes and subsidies both within
and outside the sector, can also have a significant impact on the forestry
sector. The
purpose of this work will be to review the impact of current fiscal policies
on sustainable forest management, along with other related policies, such as
land tenure, which have an impact on forest financing. However, the work will
attempt to go beyond simple financial analyses of current policies (which
have largely been done before) to examine the broader social, institutional
and political aspects of policy reform. It is hoped that this work will
assist forestry administrations to identify practical ways in which they can
revise their fiscal policies, so that they can more easily pursue the goal of
sustainable forest management. This
work has been funded through the FAO Regular Programme and the EC Tropical
Forestry Budget Line (FAO-EC Partnership Project on Sustainable Forest
Management in African ACP Countries). A large part of the work has been
produced by national consultants and institutions, with the supervision and
assistance of FAO. Working
papers are being produced and issued as they arrive. Some effort at
uniformity of presentation is being attempted, but the contents are only
minimally edited for style or clarity. FAO welcomes from readers any
information that they feel would be useful for this work. Such material can
be mailed to the contacts given below, from whom further copies of these
working papers, as well as more information about this programme of work, can
be obtained: |
|
Mr Adrian Whiteman Forestry Officer
(Sector Studies) Planning
and Statistics Branch Policy and Planning
Division Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla Rome, 00100, ITALY Tel: (39-06) 5705 5055 Fax: (39-06) 5705 5137 Email: [email protected] |
Mr Peter Lowe Forestry Officer FAO
Regional Office for Africa Gamel Abdul Nasser
Road PO Box 1628 Accra, GHANA Tel: (233-21) 675000
ext. 3404 Fax: (233-21) 668427 Email: [email protected] |