NFA fails to auction impounded charcoal

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Forestry Authority-NFA has failed to auction hundreds of impounded charcoal bags in Gulu district. The 200 bags of charcoal were impounded from Pabbo town council in Amuru district on Thursday this week.

They were being ferried on a Fuso lorry truck registration number UBE 285B to unspecified destination. NFA made public announcements over the media indicating that they would be auctioning the charcoal on Saturday afternoon in accordance with the Public Procurement and Disposal-PPDA act.

But Grace Aguti, the Gulu NFA sector manager told URN on Saturday evening that the exercise failed to kick off at NFA offices in Holy Rosary sub ward Laroo division because no one showed up to buy the charcoals by 6:00 pm as scheduled.

Aguti is however, suspicious that the buyers didn’t show up because of the Saturday rain that started from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. It was scheduled to take place. She however, didn’t disclose how much they were charging for each bag of charcoal.

Amuru district, which is under the supervision of the NFA Gulu aector, have banned commercial trading in charcoal. However, the business is still booming. Early this month the authorities evicted 103 illegal charcoal dealers from Okidi parish in Attiak sub county.

Agnes Linda Auma, the Amuru Resident District Chairperson (RDC) said that the massive destruction of trees for charcoal business is threatening to the environment.

On Wednesday Aruu county Member of Parliament, Samuel Odonga Otto faulted the leadership of Amuru district for failing to enforce the commercial charcoal ban, saying the vice has been wiped out completely from his constituency.

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URN