Analysis of Non-Fiscal Measures in the Forestry Sector in Stimulating Growth and Jobs Creation: The Ghana Experience

Abstract

The accelerated development of forestry sector over the past two decades has stimulated an increasing number of researchers to investigate the impact of forestry resources on economic growth amidst forest quality and quantity deteriorating factors, including illegalities. This study aims to identify and examine non-fiscal measures implemented in stimulating growth and job in the sector. Employing mixed research approach, the study provides inferences based on detailed performance description of core centers of the sector. The study revealed that, the government and regulatory agencies need to acknowledge the existence and importance of SMEs and making them part of economic analysis to project growth, innovation, job creation to social inclusion, and rural development. Also, trade associations are handicapped logistically and this derails their ability to support their members both financially and technically. Similarly, in adoption of strategies to improve short term development of wildlife resources, tourism attraction sites within wildlife protected areas could be created, which will control encroachments and add to revenue streams of the sector and would contribute to economic growth as a whole.