Namibia's longstanding prohibition on the export of raw and unprocessed timber is aimed at curbing environmental degradation, creating local jobs and ensuring that the country derives greater economic value from its forest resources, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has confirmed. In an interview with Namibian Sun, the ministry's chief forester, Jonas Mwiikinghi, said the ban is enforced through forest regulations that restrict timber exports unless the products have been processed or semi-processed to prescribed standards and size limits. "No raw timber material is allowed to be exported outside Namibia," Mwiikinghi said. "Timber must be processed, refined or semi-processed, and it must not exceed 15 centimetres in diameter." The restriction is contained in Regulations 7 and 12 of the Forest Regulations introduced in 2015, which ended the practice of exporting unprocessed logs that had previously been allowed. According to Mwiikinghi, the policy shift was driven by the need to promote local value addition, discourage the depletion of forest resources and stimulate employment within Namibia's timber industry. "The aim is to make sure the timber industry contributes to job creation inside the country. Value must be added locally before the product is exported," he said. Mwiikinghi explained that while the Forest Act and Forest Regulations clearly restrict the export of raw and semi-processed timber, implementation has been managed carefully to balance environmental protection with economic sustainability. "The law is clear," he said. "However, as a ministry, we must also consider job creation and economic sustainability. That is why the focus has been on encouraging value addition rather than completely shutting down timber exports."