regional wood energy development programme in asia ... - CES (IISc)

Table 5.2 Woodfuel prices (1991) at different fuel supply centres
Woodfuel type and sales unit Pyinyaung Yebokson Yinmabin Kywetatson
- Fuelwood Stacked ton
(50 cubic)
104 - 185 104 - 185 104 - 185 -
Bundle 2.0 - 2.5 1.6 - 2.0 1.9 - 2.0 -
- Bamboo Bundle - 0.45 - 0.50 0.45 - 0.50 -
- Mill off-cuts Stacked ton - - 500 -
- Charcoal Bag (90 lbs) - - 75 75
- Sawdust Truck (3stacked
tons)
5.2 Royalties Levied by the Forest Department
- - 500 -
The woodfuel trade in Myanmar is controlled by the Forest Department. In the study area
the Thazi Forest Township has the authority to issue the extraction permits on the Department's
behalf, to check woodfuel delivery from the supply areas to the market centres as well as to collect
the royalties.
The annual allowable cut (AAC) of fuelwood, bamboo and charcoal is set by the Directorate
of Forests in Yangon. The Mandalay Forest Division and the Meiktila Forest Townships Group
oversee the actual management and control which are implemented by the Thazi Forest Township.
Permits for woodfuels and charcoal are issued in accordance with the targeted quota set. Permit
holders for fuelwood are only allowed to fell those trees that have been marked, under the selective
system, by forestry staff. Permit fees for the collection of woodfuel and charcoal have to be paid
in advance. As a security, each permit holder has to deposit 3,000 kyats with Thazi Forest
Township Office.
Woodfuel gatherers recruited by the permit holders(traders) have to be registered and
identity cards are issued by the local Forest Office in order to differentiate between legal and illegal
gatherers. Even though forest rangers and lower level staff are assigned to administer the extraction
centres at Hlaingdet, Kywetatson, Yinmabin, Yebokson and Pyinyaung, a considerable, but
unknown, quantity of informal trade in woodfuel persists along the railway line with woodfuel ending
up in Thazi mostly by rail(see fig. 10).
Every truckload or cartload of fuelwood or charcoal is checked and recorded at Thazi. There
are two reasons for this: One is to calculate and collect the royalty and the other is to ensure that
the quantity extracted does not exceed the level allowed under the permit. However, a permit is not
required for bamboo fuel and upon arrival at the check-point the transported quantity is checked
and the royalty collected. If woodfuels are to be transported beyond Thazi Township removal-pass
fees are also levied. The royalty rates are laid down in the "Forest Rules" and are adjusted from
time to time. During the study period, the following royalty rates applied:
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