SGS Awards the First TLTV Statement to KVTC
SGS has recently issued the TLTV statement to the Kilombero Valley Teak Company Ltd. (KVTC) The award represents the first Timber Legality & Traceability Verification (TLTV) statement to be issued in an English-speaking African country.
Rewarded for Legality of Production (LP), KVTC was evaluated against agreed standards under the SGS TLTV Program, for the production of teak round logs, sawn timber and other timber products at Ichima (2,636 ha), Narubungu (2,112 ha), Nakafulu (15,171 ha) and Mafinji (8,212 ha) forest management units, as well as Mavimba sawmill, drying facility and value-adding plant. The TLTV Statement no. SGS-TLTV/LP-0011 confirms the company’s compliance with the program’s standards.
KVTC’s current shareholders are the CDC of the United Kingdom and Finnfund of Finland. The mandate of the company is to use the development of plantation forestry as a means to advance sustainable economic, social and environmental development in the Kilombero Valley in Southern Tanzania. The forest consists of 4 separate forest units in the Ulanga and Kilombero districts, with 11 villages bordering these areas. In addition to forestry operations, the company has commissioned a processing plant to transform logs into a combination of sawn timber and value-added products.
KVTC believes that recognition under the SGS TLTV Program is a confirmation of the high standards they employ throughout their operations. Furthermore, the TLTV statement will help the company in promoting and marketing its products in Europe and the U.S., and will boost customers’ confidence in the validity of the source of KVTC’s products.
Aside from the TLTV verification, KVTC has been ISO 14001-certified since 2004. Being the largest employer in one of the most destitute regions of Tanzania, the company is constantly trying to find ways to improve its environmental, social and economic impact for the benefit of the company as well as for the locality where KVTC operates.
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