Computer Timber Legality and Traceability Verification System (SIVL)
The workshop for the implementation of this reform has validated 6 documents and adopted 4 recommendations
27 Jul, 2019
The members of the interministerial team in charge of the implementation of the technical control and deployment of the IT system for verification of the legality and traceability of timber in Congo-Brazzaville (SIVL), meeting in a worshop, from Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 July 2019 at the Kintelé International Conference Centre (north of Brazzaville), validated 6 documents and made for recommendations for the operationalisation of this reform.
The recommendations, based on the topics discussed, include the achievement of priority activities ; the transfer of the amended documents tothe coordination no later than Thursday 1 August 2019, for their subsequent validation ; the harmonisation of all documents between them ; the budgeting of activities and the identification of funding sources.
The 6 documents validated for the technical control of the deployment of the SIVL as part of the reform of the Public Finance Information System, whose objective is to secure revenue and rationalise State expenditure, are entitled: Roadmap on the priorities and objectives of the SIVL ; Modular training manual on SIVL ; SIVL training plan and strategy ; Plan and strategy for organising the active participation of the private sector in the APV processes (Voluntary Partnership Agreement)-FLEGT(Governance and trade law)-and certification ; communication plan and strategy ; SIVL deployment plan and strategy.
These tools will enable to acquire, produce and commercialise traceable legal timber, through the issuance of Certificate of Legality, A Certificate of Export Verification and a Flegt Authorisation(Governance and Trade Law). They will also improve forest revenue collection by 2022.
This workshop was part of the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement(VPA)that Congo-Brazzaville signed with the European Union (EU), on 17 May 2010, on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).Congo-Brazzaville has established the SIVL for the implementation of this VPA-FLEGT.
However, some measures will have to be taken to ensure the operationalisation of the SIVL, with a view to improving the contribution of the legality of the forestry sector and of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the State budget, as defined in the vision for the implementation of the VPA-FLEGT Agreement by 2022.
As an indication, the forest sector generates a turnover of about 100 billion FCFA per year in Congo-Brazzaville. It contributes nearly 20 billion FCFA to State's tax revenue!
Finally, it should be noted that the document validation workshop brought together not only the members of the interministerial team from the three ministries concerned, namely: the Ministry of Finance and Budget, the Ministry of Planning, Statistics and Regional Integration and the Ministry of Forest Economy, but also representatives of European Union (EU) Delegation, including the European Forest Institute.
The work, opened by Henri Loundou, director of cabinet of the Ministry of Finance and Budget, was coordinated by Guy Noél Londongo, director of information systems (DIF) at the Ministry of Finance and Budget, and closed by Joachim Kondi, Coordinator of projects and Focal points at the Ministry of Forest Economy. The participants' training was provided by Belfort Wamba-Moundo, Théophile Hombissa and Arlette Taty Boumba, all SIVL experts.
