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Sawmills
SAWMILLS ACT

CHAPTER 66:02

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Act
35 of 1943

Amended by
34 of 1947
45 of 1979
24 of 1999

Current Authorised Pages
Pages Authorised

(inclusive) by L.R.O.
1–10 ..

L.R.O. UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

2 Chap. 66:02 Sawmills

Note on Subsidiary Legislation
This Chapter contains no subsidiary legislation.

Note on Adaptation

Under paragraph 6 of the Second Schedule to the Law Revision Act (Ch. 3:03) the Commission
amended certain references to public officers in this Chapter. The Minister’s approval of the
amendments was signified by LN 52/1980, but no marginal reference is made to this Notice
where any such amendment is made in the text.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Sawmills Chap. 66:02 3

CHAPTER 66:02

SAWMILLS ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SECTION

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Sawmill licences.

3A. Permit for furniture shop.
3B. Application for permit.
3C. Meaning of furniture shop.

4. Application for sawmill licences.
4A. Log Haulage Permit.

5. Penalty for operating sawmill without licence.
6. List of sawmill licences to be published.
7. Conservator may ask for returns.
8. Books to be kept.

8A. Stockpiling.
9. Power of entry and inspection.

10. Penalties.
11. Power to make Regulations.

FIRST SCHEDULE.
SECOND SCHEDULE.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

4 Chap. 66:02 Sawmills

CHAPTER 66:02

SAWMILLS ACT

An Act relating to Sawmills.

[18TH NOVEMBER 1943]

1. This Act may be cited as the Sawmills Act.

2. (1) In this Act—
“licensee” means a person who is the holder of a sawmill licence

issued under this Act;
“owner” in respect of a sawmill includes any person having

possession thereof;
“sawmill” includes every sawmill compound and every

breakdown saw or mill designed and used to break down and
convert logs into boards, planks or scantlings or to re-saw
the boards, planks or scantlings into boards, planks or
scantlings of small dimensions;

“sawmill compound” means any area whether enclosed or not,
used to operate one or more sawmills and in reference to
which the terms and conditions referred to in section 4(4)
are applicable; and

“sawmill licence” means a licence to operate a sawmill issued by
the Conservator under the provisions of this Act.

(2) In this Act a reference to the words “Conservator” or
“Conservator of Forests” shall be construed as a reference to the
term “Director” or “Director of Forestry”.

3. (1) No sawmill shall be operated except by a person duly
licensed under this Act.

(2) A separate application shall be made and a separate
licence shall be granted in respect of each sawmill.

(3) A sawmill licence shall be, as nearly as may be, in the
form set out in the First Schedule signed by the Conservator and
shall expire on 31st December of the year during which it is granted.

1950 Ed.
Ch. 24 No.3.
35 of 1943.

Commencement.

Short title.

Interpretation.
[24 of 1999].

Sawmill
licences.
[45 of 1979
24 of 1999].

First Schedule.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Sawmills Chap. 66:02 5

(4) The fee for a sawmill licence shall be two thousand
dollars for a year or part of a year.

(5) A sawmill licence shall not be transferable.

3A. (1) No person shall operate a furniture shop without a
permit issued by the Minister in accordance with section 3B.

(2) No person who operates a furniture shop shall convert
logs into dimensional stock without a sawmill licence granted
under section 4.

(3) A person who contravenes this section, commits an
offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of
$100,000.00 and imprisonment for one year.

3B. (1) In furtherance of section 3A, the owner or operator of
a furniture shop shall apply to the Director for a permit to so operate
and shall pay a fee of $500.00 or such other fee as the Minister
may prescribe by Order, and such Order shall be subject to negative
resolution of Parliament.

(2) Where on the coming into force of this Act, a furniture
shop is already in operation, the owner or operator shall be entitled
to a permit, subject to such conditions as the Director sees fit.

3C. For the purposes of sections 3A and 3B “furniture shop”
means a place where wooden furniture are manufactured for sale,
or where wood is used in the manufacture of furniture for sale.

4. (1) Applications for sawmill licences shall be made in
writing to the Conservator, shall contain a postal address to which
all communications may be sent, and shall be in such form as the
Conservator may require.

(2) No application for a sawmill licence shall be
entertained by the Conservator unless made and signed by the
owner of the sawmill or, if the owner is absent from Trinidad and
Tobago, or incapacitated, by the owner’s duly authorised agent
residing in Trinidad and Tobago; but if the owner is a partnership,
the application may be made and signed by a partner residing in

Permit for
furniture shop.
[24 of 1999].

Application for
Permit.
[24 of 1999].

Meaning of
furniture shop.
[24 of 1999].

Application for
sawmill
licences.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

6 Chap. 66:02 Sawmills

Trinidad and Tobago, and if the owner is a corporation the
application may be made and signed by a director, manager or
secretary thereof residing in Trinidad and Tobago.

(3) No sawmill licence shall be issued by the Conservator
until the prescribed fee has been paid to the Comptroller
of Accounts.

(4) On due application made the Conservator may grant
a licence subject to such terms and conditions as he may think fit,
or he may refuse to grant a licence, if he deems the refusal to be
necessary or desirable in the interests of the public and he may
suspend for such time as he thinks fit, or revoke, any licence issued
by him upon breach by the licensee of any sawmill, or by the
manager or person for the time being in charge thereof, of any of
the provisions of this Act, of any of the terms and conditions subject
to which the licence was granted or for any other reason which in
his opinion renders the suspension or revocation necessary or
desirable in the interests of the public. Any person aggrieved by
the withholding, suspension or revocation of any licence may, not
later than one month after the withholding, suspension or
revocation, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

4A. (1) No person may—
(a) extract, carry or transport logs by means of

vehicle, animal or otherwise; or
(b) use a vehicle or equipment listed in the

Second Schedule for the extraction or haulage of
logs within forest located in State lands or
Forest reserves,

without a valid permit issued by the Director.

(2) A permit to be called a Log Haulage Permit shall be
issued by the Conservator upon application from the owner or driver
of the vehicle or user of equipment on which the logs are to be
transported, or hauled from the forests.

(3) The Conservator may, prior to the grant of the
application, request such information as he thinks fit.

Log Haulage
Permit.
[24 of 1999].

Second
Schedule.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Sawmills Chap. 66:02 7

(4) The fee for the Log Haulage Permit shall be three
hundred dollars.

(5) The Log Haulage Permit shall expire at the end of
twelve calendar months, and is renewable at the same fee one month
before expiration thereof.

(6) A person who fails to obtain a Log Haulage Permit in
accordance with this section commits an offence and is liable on
summary conviction to a fine of three thousand dollars or
imprisonment for six months.

5. Whenever a sawmill is operated without a sawmill licence
applicable thereto being in force, the owner thereof and the manager
or any person for the time being in charge thereof is each liable on
summary conviction to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars or
to imprisonment for five years and in the case of a continuing
offence to a further penalty of five thousand dollars for each day
during which the offence continues.

6. The Conservator shall at the beginning of every month
cause to be published in the Gazette a list of sawmill licences issued
by him during the preceding month; and if at any time any such
licence is suspended or revoked, the Conservator shall notify the
suspension or revocation, in like manner as aforesaid.

7. (1) The Conservator may by order signed by him or on
his behalf and served as hereinafter provided order the licensee of
a sawmill or (in case the licensee is absent from Trinidad and
Tobago or cannot be found or is incapable to act) the manager or
person for the time being in charge of the sawmill to furnish to the
Conservator a return or a series of returns in such form and at or
within such time or times as may be specified in the order regarding
any or all of the following matters:

(a) the stocks on hand of timber and timber products
which are the property of the licensee;

(b) the volume of timber or timber products (whether
the property of the licensee or otherwise) received
at the sawmill;

Penalty for
operating
sawmill without
licence.
[24 of 1999].

List of sawmill
licences to be
published.

Conservator
may ask for
returns.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

8 Chap. 66:02 Sawmills

(c) the volume of the timber products obtained from
the conversion of timber received;

(d) the names and addresses of the persons from
whom timber or timber products have been
bought by the licensee, or who have sent timber
or timber products for treatment at the sawmill;

(e) the number of persons employed at the sawmill
and the number of man-days worked.

(2) An order made by the Conservator under this section
shall be deemed to have been duly served on the licensee of a
sawmill or on the manager or person for the time being in charge
thereof if the same is served personally or is delivered to some
person at, or sent by post to, the postal address set out in the relevant
application form.

(3) Every return made under this section shall be signed
by the person making it and shall be forwarded to the Conservator
at his office at Port-of-Spain.

(4) Any person who fails to comply with any requirement
of an order made under this section or with any requirements of
subsection (3), or who furnishes any return which is false in a
material particular knowing or having reason to believe that it is
false as aforesaid is guilty of an offence against this Act.

8. (1) Every licensee shall keep, or cause to be kept, books
and records in the English language recording all such particulars
as may be necessary to enable him to render any such return or
furnish any such information as the Conservator would be entitled
to require under this Act.

(2) Such books and records shall be kept in a safe place
on the premises on which the sawmill or the holder of a permit for
a furniture shop is situated.

(3) Any licensee who fails to comply with the
requirements of this section in any respect is guilty of an offence
against this Act.

Books to
be kept.
[24 of 1999].

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

L.R.O.

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Sawmills Chap. 66:02 9

8A. (1) A person who stores or stockpiles timber in a sawmill
compound, shall keep a record of the number of Removal Permits
granted under the Forests Act, the date of its issue and the name of
the officer who issued same, for each occasion on which timber is
removed from its source.

(2) A person who contravenes this section is liable on
summary conviction to a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars or
imprisonment for one year.

9. (1) The Conservator, any Forest Officer, or any member
of the Police Service may, at any time when any sawmill is open
or in operation, enter the premises on which any sawmill is situated
for the purpose of inspecting the books and records required by
section 8 to be kept and the timber and timber products therein
situated; and the licensee of the sawmill or the manager or the
person for the time being in charge thereof shall, on demand made
by the Conservator or other officer aforesaid, produce for inspection
all such books, records, timber and timber products, and shall
answer truthfully all such questions as may be asked by the
Conservator or other officer aforesaid with reference to the books,
records, timber, timber products or with reference to any of the
entries in, or contents of, the books and records.

(2) Any person who fails to comply with the requirements
of this section in any respect is guilty of an offence against
this Act.

10. Any person who is guilty of an offence against this Act
for which no special penalty is provided is liable on summary
conviction to a fine of thirty thousand dollars or to imprisonment
for two years.

11. The Minister may make Regulations for the purpose of
giving effect to any of the provisions of this Act or to any matters
incidental or ancillary thereto.

Stockpiling.
[24 of 1999].

Ch. 66:01.

Power of entry
and inspection.
[24 of 1999].

Penalties.
[24 of 1999].

Power to make
Regulations.

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

10 Chap. 66:02 Sawmills

FIRST SCHEDULE

SAWMILLS ACT

Mr....................................., of ..............., Trinidad and Tobago, being the owner
of a sawmill situate at ................................, in the Ward of ........................., in
the County of ............................, is hereby licensed to operate such sawmill.

This licence will expire on 31st December next.

Date: ..........................

SECOND SCHEDULE

List of Equipment used for Extraction of Logs
1. Wheel tractors.

2. Track tractors.

3. Skidders/Timberjacks.

4. Pegged wheel tractors.

5. Feller/Bunchers.

6. Trucks.

7. All trailers.

............................................................
Conservator of Forests

Section 3.

Section 4A.
[24 of 1999].

UNOFFICIAL VERSION


UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014

MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt