GOVERNMENT says it is undertaking inspections to verify that each applicant has timber before an export permit is issued to them to avoid a trend where individuals would acquire permits without having the commodity. In a statement, Wednesday, Ministry of Green Economy and Environment permanent secretary John Msimuko said the measure would also enable the forestry department to establish the source of the timber and ascertain that it was legally harvested. “I am pleased to inform the nation that the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment through the forestry department commenced issuance of timber export permits in April 2022. Our reviews and audits have shown that in the past, a few individuals acquired export permits when in fact they did...