The government’s newly upgraded timber procurement policy, which came into effect on April 1, has been slow to make an impact, industry sources have reported.
From this month only timber products from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partner (or working towards licensing) can be specified for works generated by government departments, executive agencies or public bodies.
Agent Wellwood Timber, which sources much of its timber from Malaysia, said it believed the new policy had resulted in its first enquiry for the government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) approved timber.
“We have had one serious enquiry for what must be quite a prestigious project,” said Wellwood managing director Robin Learmount. “It is for decking, which has been specified as CPET-approved and that’s the first time we have ever been asked for that.”
“I honestly don’t think we have been asked for anything like that [CPET-approved] yet and I think it is going to be a slow burn,” said Peter Hunt, purchasing manager at Arbor Forest Products and chairman of the North East Timber Trade Association.
Mr Hunt said Arbor was geared up for the new policy with only one supplier not certified.
Another trader said he was not aware the government had changed its timber procurement policy and was unaware of the FLEGT licensing scheme. He said many clients requested FSC certified products, with FSC certified sapele and utile being supplied for government contracts where an African hardwood was specified.
The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) said the new policy was a milestone but the low exposure of many merchants to government contracts may mean the impact will be limited.
“But the government is putting a lot of time and money into promoting its policy, so traders should increasingly expect to see the terms CPET and FLEGT in the enquiries and orders they receive,” said TTF chief executive John White.
