DURBAN - A tip-off has paid dividends in a drive to weed out the growing illegal timber trade, with more than a million rand worth of illegally treated products having been seized from several distributors in KwaZulu-Natal.
As the ante goes up in a bid to nip the illicit business trend in the bud, the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) said the environmentally harmful businesses were surging in the province.
“Illegal treatment of timber holds an environmental threat in that the oil used to treat the timber (in the illegal sites without proper treatment platforms) tends to seep through the soil, thereby contaminating the environment,” stated the NRCS, an entity of the Department of Trade and Industry established to administer compulsory specifications and technical regulations aimed at protecting human health, safety, the environment and ensure fair trade.
“There is a growing demand for treated timber in the country which is used in the construction of roofing and as a more cost-effective method in building houses. With the current economic situation, consumers opt for cheaper products as a substitute for legally treated timber which is deemed expensive,” the entity said.
The NRCS responded to calls for action amid reports of rife illegal timber business activities around the capital city.
The organisation conducted targeted inspections and found several illegal treaters in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas.
“The treaters were unable to prove compliance to the requirements of the Compulsory Specification (VC 9092) for Treated Timber and were producing sub-standard products. They failed to produce proof of compliance, and the products also failed to comply with the marking requirements,” the state entity said.
Advising against the purchase of sub-standard products, the NRCS said it would continue to monitor compliance, and if any product was found wanting, the entity would remove it from the market, in line with section 20 (1) (b) of the NRCS Act No 5 of 2008 which stipulates that “any person who imports or sells a commodity or product – for which a compulsory specification is in force must furnish to the national regulator such information as may be specified with regard to the article concerned”.
THE MERCURY