Congo: Fall in oil price affects Congo's forestry development centre

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) – Due to the slump of oil prices on the world market, Congo has cut down the budget of its National Centre for Inventory and Planning of Animal and Forest Resources (CNIAF) from about US$1.5 million in 2014 to US$470,000 in 2015, the country's Ministry of Forest Economy and Rural Development said Monday.

"We are forced to prioritize our activities that come from government, the architect of the national policy on conservation and management of forest ecosystems," said Jacques Nkanwe, chair of the CNIAF management committee.

Projects that were retained under the investment expenses concern the technical realization of the inventory and planning, purchase of vehicles and exploration materials.

“The centre's technical plan, initiated in 2014, has guaranteed Congo’s leadership in the fields of sustainable forest management, forest certification and the management of a cartographic database supported by a good system of geographical information,” Nkanwe added.
-0- PANA MB/JSG/ACK/AR 1June2015