Accra: Ghana has 447 active Social Responsibility Agreements (SRAs) in the timber sector, valued at GHS4.52 million nationwide as of May 2026, an official of the Forestry Commission (FC) has disclosed. Mr Bright Owusu Sekyere, Manager of Systems and Data Reconciliation at the Timber Validation Department, shared this information at the inception workshop for the Agence Fran§aise de D©veloppement (AFD)-FC SRA Project, which aims to enhance the implementation of SRAs in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, SRAs are mechanisms designed to ensure that forest fringe communities benefit directly from timber harvesting activities through support for community development projects. The agreements, which constitute five per cent of stumpage fees, remain the only direct financial benefit from timber logging that is collectively allocated to affected communities.
Mr Bright Owusu Sekyere explained in an interview that the Forestry Commission is responsible for ensuring that SRAs are signed before timber companies are granted licences to operate. He noted that companies failing to comply with the requirement risk losing their licences. 'As a government agency, we are supposed to ensure that the SRA is signed. So we witness the signing of the SRA and ensure compliance. After signing, we must also ensure that the companies are paying what is due to the communities,' he said.
In December 2017, Legislative Instrument (LI) 2254 was enacted to provide legal backing for the implementation and enforcement of SRAs. The implementation process involves multiple stakeholders, including the Forestry Commission, timber companies, traditional authorities, SRA Committees, and beneficiary communities. SRAs also form part of Ghana's Timber Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) under the FLEGT/VPA framework, where compliance with applicable SRAs is a key verification requirement for the issuance of FLEGT licences.
The AFD-FC SRA Project, valued at approximately 300,000 euros, is funded under the EU FLEGT VPA Programme. Implementing partners include Civic Response, Rights and Advocacy Initiatives Network (RAIN), both civil society organisations, DEVNEST Systems, an IT firm, and the Forestry Commission, the sector regulator.
Mr Albert Katako, the Head of Programmes at Civic Response, shared that the initiative aims to train Forestry Commission officials and timber contractors on the legal and operational requirements for SRA implementation. The project will also promote collaboration among stakeholders to monitor, report, and resolve grievances related to non-compliance with SRAs.
Mr Katako added that the project will support SRA Committees to better understand their mandate, improve community engagement, and enhance transparency and accountability in the utilisation of SRA resources. 'We intend to identify gaps and provide recommendations to strengthen the institutional framework and stakeholder coordination for effective SRA enforcement,' he said.