Post by Nguyen Dinh Hai on Nov 21, 2003 9:25:52 GMT 7
Forest fiscal systems ? specifically concession and revenue systems ? provide
the tools for mobilizing forest revenues, motivating private industry
operations, and meeting broader policy objectives, including sustainable forest management (SFM), poverty reduction, and conservation of environmental values. Several countries, encompassing a diverse range of forest types and associated industries, are implementing or considering new approaches to designing and implementing effective fiscal systems.
In this context, the International Workshop on Reform of Forest Fiscal Systems convened at the World Bank in Washington DC from October 19 - 21, 2003, to provide a forum for frank discussion on the political economy of forest fiscal reforms. Participants from seven countries - Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, and Nicaragua ? shared their experiences in the reform process. While the participants' specific situations varied, in all cases the goal for the forest fiscal system is to identify practical ways to ensure that forests can be utilized sustainably and make a more positive contribution to national poverty reduction objectives by stimulating growth and providing regular and enhanced revenue flows to governments. Specifically, the Workshop focused on three key themes:
How to define the mix of fiscal instruments and set the right
levels?
How to use revenues collected?
How to manage the politics of forest fiscal reform processes?
The workshop was organized by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank Institute (WBI) and the Program on Forests (PROFOR). Attached is a briefing note highlighting the workshop discussions. Additional materials, including country presentations, workshop documentation and a more
detailed aide memoire are available at the PROFOR website at:
www.profor.info/forestfiscalsystems.htm A publication of the country
case studies is forthcoming in early 2004.