The government will be using confiscated rosewood for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, announced that this will begin with the five containers of rosewood impounded at the Tema Port last month.
Addressing the media on the latest development, he said the government will be transparent in this process.
“The government is making the decision to take all rosewood confiscated towards the construction of the National Cathedral, so in addition to the ban on the export, all rosewood confiscated should and will be donated to the National Cathedral.”
“When the National Cathedral turns out to have enough rosewood, we will take other measures; either to donate it to other public institutions and if we are minded to have a public auction for domestic use, rest assured it will be done with a sense of integrity,” Mr. Jinapor said.
The government expects the $100-million inter-denominational cathedral to be ready by March 6, 2024.
Under normal circumstance, seized rosewood is auctioned for use in Ghana.
Rosewood still remains a restricted wood species under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The ban on rosewood harvesting in Ghana first came into force in 2014.
The ban was lifted in 2017, with the Minister in charge at that time, John Peter Amewu, giving over 20 companies permission to fell the trees.
But in March 2019, the trade was banned again, following alleged corruption and illegal trade of the resource.