Chainsaws banned : Cabinet approval granted

Colombo (News 1st): Cabinet approval was granted to ban the import of chainsaws following a proposal put forward by President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (June 18). The President had put forward the proposal in his capacity as Environment Minister. According to the Government Information Department the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, Number 01 of 1969 will be amended. It was observed chainsaws were widely used in the illegal felling of trees and there are more than 82,000 registered chainsaws in the country. The Government Information Department said the use of such chainsaws is a threat to the government's plan to increase the total forest density in the country to 32% by 2030.