Forest Minister Punjab, Dr Ashfaq-ur-Rehman has underlined the need for private-public partnership to get more productivity from forests and green pastures. While addressing the concluding session of the workshop on 'Forestry Development Through Participatory Approach' here on Wednesday, he said that successful efforts put forward in the last 50 years by the forest department has enabled it to fulfil 90 percent of country's need.
The minister said that though the forest department was fulfilling 90 percent need of the country, however it should be increased in accordance with growing increase in the population. "Our forests and green pastures could come up with rich productions and to attain that goal private-public partnerships were needed."
Meanwhile, in the workshop it was recommended that under the public-private partnership returns from agricultural crops should go to the private partner while the returns from trees, thinning, lops and tops should be equally shared between the government and the private partner and all investment should be the sole responsibility of the private sector.
It was further proposed that size of the area to be offered to private sector should depend on site conditions, type and financial capability of the partner.
It was stressed in the workshop that incentives for the private sector could be in the shape of machinery for land development on cheaper rates, waiver of sales tax on forestry supportive items and appreciation in the way of prizes and awards etc.