The Forestry Commission has launched two digital platforms that allow registration and renewal of property marks to be completed in a day, instead of two months.

The platforms are expected to help end frustrations and bureaucracies associated with the exercise by timber merchants.

Property mark is a registration which assigns a unique identity to timber contractor in all dealings with the Forestry Commission.

The platforms allow registrants to complete all registration and renewal of property marks in the comfort of their homes and offices.

The Forestry Commission also introduced apps, developed by its staff, that allow officials to monitor and track wood in the forest electronically.

Speaking at the launch of the online platforms at Achiawkrom near Ejisu, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey spoke of the frustrations timber contractors go through.

“Contractor who for instance operates in 3 regions and 5 districts will have to go to all the 5 districts to physically present the required documents and obtain clearance at all the districts. And he or she would have to do this twice in a year. Averagely, information from the industry indicates that it takes about 2-months to go through this process.”

But according to Mr. Allotey, contractors can now heave a sigh of relief.

“With these new applications, it would be possible to renew this property mark in a day in any district of your choice.”

Industry players, like the Forestry Industry Association of Ghana and the Ghana Timber Millers Organisation, spoke of how they intend to cash in on the new platforms.

President of the Forestry Industry Association of Ghana, Richard Kwabena Nsenkyire, expressed gratitude for the new apps.

“The introduction of this innovative digitalized platforms is a welcome intervention for the industry. The timber industry has for many years been under the burden of operating under a purely paper-based environment.

“The time consuming nature of renewing property marks and the constant request for information by one unit or department of the Forestry Commission that might already be in the custody of another division has been some of the challenges we have to contend with,” he said.

“The introduction of these innovative platforms is a good indication of how collaboration with the Forestry Commission to address business challenges of the industry is beginning to yield dividends,” he added.

Representing the Ghana Timber Millers Organisation, Dr. Kwame Adam said, “It is the hope of the industry that electronic wood tracking system has come to remove all the challenges associated with the documentation of timber harvesting  and timber product transportation.”