Rose wood: the HAT alone has an exceptional right to export

As the rose wood snuggle’s masterminds are still free, Andry Rajoelina create the surprise when turning this smuggle into a state led business. In the run of a visit in Brickaville, the authority´s leader produced a propaganda speech about the struggle against this traffic embarrassing his régime´s reputation. Making a legal trade out of this smuggle is the short term solution to the lack of funds. 

Since any of the authority´s leader´s speeches is going down as a law – a simple signature will be enough to make the undisputedly largest rose wood smuggler out of the Malagasy state. The HAT itself banned cuts, transportations and exports of rose wood. Now it will be the one drawing profits from these illegal actions ´results. It would actually not be its first ever breach of its own unilaterally imposed rules. 

Rose wood trunks are the products of an economic crime. These logs have been illegally cut down. “No one owns this rose wood” declared Andry Rajoelina. And yet, the HAT wants to recover the stocks created by this criminal activity, or their profits. Stolen goods are technically deemed to be recovered by their owner in case of economic crime. 

Ethics are not going to bother a régime bound to breach its own laws that long. The HAT is now leading the deal of stolen goods, of illegally cut down rose wood. Could any country ever possibly sell out and draw profits from drugs seized by its security forces? Would such an action contribute to reduce the illegal production of cannabis? 

Independently from the dedication of the harvested profits, environment defense groups are challenging this legal concealment. Each and every exceptionally granted right to export rose wood has been leading to lootings of primary forests in Madagascar. 

The shrinking trust in an imposed almighty authority is irretrievably bearing doubts about the profits ´use. The intertwined acts of state leaders and banks are no good omen for the struggle against the now legally authorized smuggle.   

Six containers of rose wood seized in Mauritius would worth ten millions of dollars. Considering the available quantity of rose wood, whether seized, cut down and hidden of still standing in the forest, the authority may expect interesting revenues as an ersatz for suspended international support. No more strings attached.