Somali cabinet on Thursday approved a proposed bill to fight against felling trees for the first time in decades.
Large areas of Somalia’s forest has been cut and burnt for charcoal since the fall of Somalia’s central government in 1990s.
Speaking to the media, Somali Deputy Information Minister, Abdirahman Iidan Yunis said the cabinet endorsed a bill which criminalizes cutting of trees for charcoal to avert the massive deforestation which is risking the country to turn into desert.
“A proposed bill banning the cutting of trees and exporting of charcoal has been approved. After long debate it was jointly agreed to be implemented,” said Yonis.
The U.N. Security Council has banned charcoal exports from Somalia years ago but some countries have failed to stop importing it from the horn of African nation, the UN monitoring group mainly blamed UAE where the largest purchasers are reportedly based.
Al-Shabab which once controlled several port-towns in South and central Somalia has been earning millions of USD from charcoal through extortion of tax and exporting according to U.N. experts.
Meanwhile the cabinet listened reports about the upcoming national examinations submitted by the state minister of education.
Iidan said the ministry scheduled the exams to take place next month.
“A report has been tabled before the cabinet by the State minister for Education. The 2017-2018 examinations will take place at 15 exam centers in Benadir region and 25 centers in regional states,” he noted.
Mid this month, Somali Minister for Education, Abdirahman Dahir Osman said over 27,000 secondary school students will sit for their examinations from 12th May.
He noted that the country has been making a steady progress in its education system.
The number of students examined in the unified national examinations has gradually grown in the last three years 20,000 in 2016, 23,000 in 2017 to 27,000 this year.
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