The Municipal Chief Executive for Sissala East, Karim Nanyua, says the timber processing factory in the area, Bachopong Li Songquon, had been shut down temporarily even before Monday’s protest by residents.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the MCE said the company had been asked to present its documents to the assembly.
“We have already gone to stop its operations and we have always asked the factory to file its documents and present them to the assembly. As of now, the company is not operating.”
The residents were upset because they claimed the timber processing factory was also processing rosewood despite the ban on its harvesting and export.
These concerns come after the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said in a report that the illegal trade and felling of rosewood trees in Ghana has continued despite intermittent bans being in place since 2012.
The agency said in a report that since 2012, over 540,000 tons of rosewood; the equivalent of six million trees, were illegally harvested and imported into China from Ghana while bans on harvest and trade have been in place.
They gave the assembly a week’s ultimatum to shut down the Chinese company.
The demonstrators also presented a petition to the MCE for onward submission to the President.
Mr. Nanyua assured the residents that the Assembly was working in their interests.
He also noted that the factory did not have permission to operate in the district.
“As far as I am concerned, the assembly has not given any permit to somebody to establish a company like that… I only wish to give the assurance that the necessary action will be taken against whoever is involved in this particular act,” the MCE added.