Extracted From:
http://guyanaforestry.blogspot.com/2007/02/perpetual-domination.html
Kaieteur News
27 February 2007
Freddie Kissoon Column
PERPETUAL DOMINATION
I have done in the National Park itself a lot of things after jogging. I don't have a copy of Kean Gibson's “The Cycle of Racial Oppression in Guyana .”
I took (mind you, I didn't “walk” with it) it with me, and after jogging, reclined under a tree and read it. It is a booklet, not a full length manuscript. I was livid, exasperated, and mad after what I read.
Gibson's little reader is nothing more than gossip you find at the fish market. I got up, stuck it between some branches, and headed towards my car.
One of the nicest post-jogging moments I have enjoyed in the park occurred three years ago. There I lay under a tree and read a beautiful editorial of the Stabroek News on environmental protection and ecological preservation in the Third World as a vehicle of domination by the developed countries.
The editorial quoted extensively from an author who showed that these so-called green mechanisms that the First World has laid down in the Third World are for the benefit of the industrialised countries.
I wonder if the writer of yesterday's Stabroek editorial remembers that piece three years ago. The problem with editorials is that they are done by several persons, and you may find that, five years after a position is taken on a certain phenomenon, another writer, unaware of the previous article, pens an exact opposite viewpoint.
In yesterday's editorial, the Government of Guyana is lambasted for allowing Buddy's International Hotel to proceed without an environmental impact assessment.
I have done three articles on the conspiracy and uselessness of the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the fourth essay. After destroying the ecology of the world through industrialisation, the rich Western societies have demanded that, if the Third World
countries are going to continue to receive aid, they have to adhere to certain ecological policy guidelines laid down by the EU and the US .
Now, mind you, this thing is a coercive process. The Third World could not have refused to have an Environmental Protection Agency. No EPA, no aid. Even with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Conservational International, countries like Guyana have to accept them. Incidentally, the advisor of WWF, Dr. Gary Clark, is a consultant to Barama.
The time is coming when territories like Guyana will be in a position to reject the EPA, WWF and other impositions because the traditional aid package is getting smaller each year.
Where is the EPA in the developed world? To answer that question, we should ask another question: who collects the ocean of cocaine that is shipped to the US ?
The US pushed the Narcotics Act down the throat of the Hoyte Administration. That was more than eighteen years ago. But the drug lords in the US are still receiving the “white lady” from the Caribbean (including Guyana ) and South America . Why hasn't the importation been
cut off a long time ago?
Where was the EPA in the USA when President Bush rejected the Kyoto Agreement? Where is the EPA in all those countries that continue to industrialise at the expense of the environment? These demands for ecological preservation remind one of the heydays of the anti-imperialist movement after WW2.
It sounds so imperialist in outlook – “for you to get aid, we want you to stop destroying the environment.” In these times, the word ‘imperialist' is no longer in vogue, but form changes, not substance. We don't say “imperialism” anymore. We say “unequal trade” or “hegemony
of the West.”
Take the question of aid. When I was in graduate school, one of the most influential books at the time was entitled, “Aid as imperialism.” It argued that when these aid packages are agreed on, the bulk of the money goes back to the donor country, because the recipient country has
to employ foreign consultants and buy the required products from the donor country.
Thirty years after that book was published, the situation remains identical. Go to the Oasis Cafe on Carmichael Street and you will see a school of foreign consultants having their lunch and dinner there. They live in the most expensive mansions in Region 4. At the end of the day,
a big chunk of the aid package goes to them. Now, don't get me wrong; this is not only confined to the West.
The Chinese operate in the same vein. This is the nature of imperialism. The Chinese, Indians and Brazilians are set to replace the Europeans and the Americans as the new powers in the Third World , but do you think their methods will be any different?
The aid contracts will stipulate that you have to buy the goods from China and employ Chinese consultants.
Today, in Guyana , the EPA is a hindrance to investment. It is an irrelevant agency whose authority should be minimised. Armed with its legality, the EPA goes around making life hard for small investors. Its personnel visit small business places and make all kinds of demands.
They enforce requirements that entail expenses that these struggling newcomers cannot afford.
Take the furniture industry. It is one of our strong points. We have good wood that the outside world craves for. I grew up in Georgetown seeing these modest establishments at work. Now, the EPA is on the loose. They visit these people and tell them about all types of modern
equipment they have to get.
There is this talk about an environmental impact assessment. Do you know how much that thing costs? When Europe and the US were developing, did they do any impact assessments?
Let's quote the Stabroek editorial, “”Even before the land was cleared, it was the EPA's mandate to ensure that an environmental impact assessment study was done for the sprawling 250-room hotel before a decision was made on an environmental permit to construct.” When
Pegasus was constructed on the outer rim of the Atlantic Ocean , there was no EPA or an environmental assessment impact. It remains a strong hotel.
I believe the President did a smart thing with the Buddy's International Hotel. He didn't order the EPA not to investigate, so the aid donors couldn't flex their muscles.
The EPA knew its place and kept its tail between its legs. I hope it continues to do so in the future.
By the way, which country is going to put sanctions on Japan for whaling? The big countries always protect their interests. The small countries must do the same.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
The exploits of Barama in Guyana
Kaieteur News,
26 February 2007
The exploits of the Barama Company Limited in Guyana
Dear Editor,
We have seen that, despite all the extremely generous benefits, tax/duty exemptions, concessions, political connections, winning of awards, etc., the Barama Company Limited (parent company, Samling Group) has claimed that no profit has been made in its 15 years of
operation in Guyana, and that Barama is therefore exempt from the payment of any income taxes whatsoever in Guyana.
Whereas, the local companies, without all the generous deals, are paying their income taxes, and giving better wages to their workers.
This essay shows that the above mentioned giveaways are not all, and that Barama is also fleecing the already impoverished and depleted Guyanese treasury, and in so doing is adding to the financial burden of the already overburdened people of Guyana .
Both Barama and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) claimed that Barama is good for Guyana , since it provides jobs and infrastructure in hard-pressed communities in the interior of Guyana . But these arguments would crumble under close examination.
The Guyanese workers are in the lower/lowest tier of the income brackets at Barama. Their average wage is approximately G$26,000 (or US$125.00 per month).
Recently, Dr Ashni Singh, the new Finance Minister, decided that G$28,000 is the highest cut-off point, above which a person will pay income taxes. That indicates that wages below G$28,000 are below the poverty line by Government of Guyana's own economic standard. Barama's workers' wages qualify them for the poverty lines, and therefore they are not eligible to pay income taxes. It seems bizarre that a big foreign company would be allowed to pay (full-time) workers below the livable wage guidelines, even by Guyana 's low standard! (This, it must
be remembered, is a profession that is internationally known for having a high amount of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.)
Since the wages are so low that these fully employed Guyanese forestry workers cannot pay income taxes, it means that these employed workers cannot contribute to the national treasury to pay for ‘things' like defence, police, healthcare, education, infrastructure, pension,
Government and social services, etc.
These citizens (unlike others) therefore cannot fulfil their required financial obligations to the State of Guyana. In this light, other workers in the country are subsidising these forestry workers (through no fault of their own). This, therefore, amounts to an indirect subsidy
to Barama.
We can also infer that: (1) The seriously injured (or disabled) workers would have to be supported by the state, and as a result, are making their families dependent on the state. (2) The families of those unfortunate fatalities would also become dependent on the state. The
state shoulders the responsibilities, even though it has received no financial input whatsoever from Barama.
The much vaunted economic benefits to these workers have not been realised, since they are now a captive ‘reserve' labour pool for the even worse Barama subsistence wages. They now even have to get Barama's permission to harvest vines - used to make cane-like furniture on land that was once theirs.
In addition, if Barama's foreign workers do not pay local income taxes and receive the Guyana 's Government services (as the local citizens), then these foreign workers are also being subsidized by the Guyanese workers. (It is almost as if Barama and its foreign workers have diplomatic immunity status in not being subject to the local taxation laws of Guyana .)
At present, Barama's operation does not include any proper protocols or even attempts for reforestation (Also pointed out in ‘Stop the exportation,' Mr Edwards Clarke, Kaieteur News, 14th Feb, 2007); these are regarded as the normal standard in modern forestry practices.
We know that there are no nurseries anywhere (in Guyana ) to grow seedlings of the commercially harvested and much desired species of trees. The biology and ecology, etc., of these trees are also not being studied. There is no relevant research work in these areas being done at UG and/or NARI. So the company's operation is just a matter of how fast and how best (for Barama) these trees can be removed from Guyana . Both Barama and the GFC have no reforestation plans in place. The GFC is not implementing or policing reforestation – it does not seem to be a top priority or concern.
That means that the Guyanese people (already the overburdened and impoverished taxpayers) will be paying the bills for the research, nurseries, replanting, maintenance, reforestation, restoration, and environmental clean-ups, etc. that will have to happen sooner or later.
Any respectable, modern forestry company would proudly ‘showcase' its entire operation to the world in its quest for the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Barama has only sought FSC certification for two sectors (4 and 5) of its vast concessions, where it is currently harvesting. What happened to its previously held harvested areas? These already exploited and damaged areas were not harvested properly, and were not factored in the SGS review. The ‘environmental and ecological mess' left behind after 14 years of improper exploitation of all these sectors will also have to be paid for by Guyanese taxpayers.
The exploitation message is clear - Guyana pays for the reclamation, after Barama harvests the timber.
It also seems rather like a ‘con-game' that the entire forestry operation of Barama should not be considered in the FSC certification. Secondly, it also seems peculiar that the whole operational history of the company would also not be considered. FSC certification is good for any forestry company (local/international) operating in Guyana .
But the FSC Certification must not be obtained on false or questionable circumstances. It is just a matter of time before the international community finds out that they have been deceived. The image of the country and all companies in Guyana will be tarnished.
This would affect other sectors of the forestry industry, such as the now developing eco-tourism industry, and Non Timber Forestry Products (NTFPs).
It can also affect other non-related industries and the whole economy of Guyana . The prices to pay for deception and/or such attempts at improprieties are not worth it.
Canada has learned the hard way that the international community can strike hard. In the clear cutting harvesting of old growth forests in a particular pristine forest area in British Columbia (BC), the International Community rallied, and yearly bountiful tourists cancelled coming to BC. Both BC and Canadian products were boycotted.
There was also bad international press with the killing of baby seal pups in Newfoundland . What would happen if Europe, Britain , Canada , and USA , etc., decide to boycott Guyana and Guyanese goods (sugar, rice, sea-foods, vegetables, fruits, ground provisions, etc), or a tariff is imposed on Guyanese goods? The overseas governments' aid, grants, loans, etc., to the Government of Guyana can easily be blocked.
Today, the environmentalist lobby is even more very powerful. We should earn our FSC certification the right way and not even attempt, or seen to be attempting, to deceive the international community.
Barama, the big multinational company, even took charitable handouts from the philanthropic WWF to help pay for its FSC certification, as reported by SN (Tuesday, March 1st, 2005 in BCL close to harvesting international forest certificate, See also Jan 10th, 2005) : “The WWF
(World Wildlife Fund, Guianas) has disbursed about US$160,000 to BCL and about US$25,000 to Variety Woods Limited to push for FSC certification.” Supporters of WWF should at least demand a refund.
The crass and crude exploitation of Guyanese hospitality/resources/vulnerabilities by anyone (local or foreign) is no longer acceptable. Why do we continue to allow ourselves to be so
degraded, humiliated, and exploited in the eyes of the whole world? Canada , with its vast land masses, now realises that the forests are not infinite, and has acted to conserve its natural resources heritage. Guyana is a very small country and should manage all its natural resources wisely for the benefit of its own people, today and tomorrow.
The question is: what are the Guyanese people going to do about this state of affairs? These questions must be raised in the homes, schools, work places, colleges, universities, rum shops, etc, and Parliament.
We must re-examine all these giveaways now and take corrective actions, or else future generations will think that we were the stupidest and/or the most irresponsible generation in the nation's history.
What will they say of us? We must remember that our silence or failure to act will also speak volumes of this generation and its leadership. Who will stand up for Guyana ?
Our hope lies in our young people to take on all those who dare to abuse us. We must ensure that we are the masters in our own house - our house, our rules.
Seelochan Beharry
26 February 2007
The exploits of the Barama Company Limited in Guyana
Dear Editor,
We have seen that, despite all the extremely generous benefits, tax/duty exemptions, concessions, political connections, winning of awards, etc., the Barama Company Limited (parent company, Samling Group) has claimed that no profit has been made in its 15 years of
operation in Guyana, and that Barama is therefore exempt from the payment of any income taxes whatsoever in Guyana.
Whereas, the local companies, without all the generous deals, are paying their income taxes, and giving better wages to their workers.
This essay shows that the above mentioned giveaways are not all, and that Barama is also fleecing the already impoverished and depleted Guyanese treasury, and in so doing is adding to the financial burden of the already overburdened people of Guyana .
Both Barama and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) claimed that Barama is good for Guyana , since it provides jobs and infrastructure in hard-pressed communities in the interior of Guyana . But these arguments would crumble under close examination.
The Guyanese workers are in the lower/lowest tier of the income brackets at Barama. Their average wage is approximately G$26,000 (or US$125.00 per month).
Recently, Dr Ashni Singh, the new Finance Minister, decided that G$28,000 is the highest cut-off point, above which a person will pay income taxes. That indicates that wages below G$28,000 are below the poverty line by Government of Guyana's own economic standard. Barama's workers' wages qualify them for the poverty lines, and therefore they are not eligible to pay income taxes. It seems bizarre that a big foreign company would be allowed to pay (full-time) workers below the livable wage guidelines, even by Guyana 's low standard! (This, it must
be remembered, is a profession that is internationally known for having a high amount of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.)
Since the wages are so low that these fully employed Guyanese forestry workers cannot pay income taxes, it means that these employed workers cannot contribute to the national treasury to pay for ‘things' like defence, police, healthcare, education, infrastructure, pension,
Government and social services, etc.
These citizens (unlike others) therefore cannot fulfil their required financial obligations to the State of Guyana. In this light, other workers in the country are subsidising these forestry workers (through no fault of their own). This, therefore, amounts to an indirect subsidy
to Barama.
We can also infer that: (1) The seriously injured (or disabled) workers would have to be supported by the state, and as a result, are making their families dependent on the state. (2) The families of those unfortunate fatalities would also become dependent on the state. The
state shoulders the responsibilities, even though it has received no financial input whatsoever from Barama.
The much vaunted economic benefits to these workers have not been realised, since they are now a captive ‘reserve' labour pool for the even worse Barama subsistence wages. They now even have to get Barama's permission to harvest vines - used to make cane-like furniture on land that was once theirs.
In addition, if Barama's foreign workers do not pay local income taxes and receive the Guyana 's Government services (as the local citizens), then these foreign workers are also being subsidized by the Guyanese workers. (It is almost as if Barama and its foreign workers have diplomatic immunity status in not being subject to the local taxation laws of Guyana .)
At present, Barama's operation does not include any proper protocols or even attempts for reforestation (Also pointed out in ‘Stop the exportation,' Mr Edwards Clarke, Kaieteur News, 14th Feb, 2007); these are regarded as the normal standard in modern forestry practices.
We know that there are no nurseries anywhere (in Guyana ) to grow seedlings of the commercially harvested and much desired species of trees. The biology and ecology, etc., of these trees are also not being studied. There is no relevant research work in these areas being done at UG and/or NARI. So the company's operation is just a matter of how fast and how best (for Barama) these trees can be removed from Guyana . Both Barama and the GFC have no reforestation plans in place. The GFC is not implementing or policing reforestation – it does not seem to be a top priority or concern.
That means that the Guyanese people (already the overburdened and impoverished taxpayers) will be paying the bills for the research, nurseries, replanting, maintenance, reforestation, restoration, and environmental clean-ups, etc. that will have to happen sooner or later.
Any respectable, modern forestry company would proudly ‘showcase' its entire operation to the world in its quest for the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Barama has only sought FSC certification for two sectors (4 and 5) of its vast concessions, where it is currently harvesting. What happened to its previously held harvested areas? These already exploited and damaged areas were not harvested properly, and were not factored in the SGS review. The ‘environmental and ecological mess' left behind after 14 years of improper exploitation of all these sectors will also have to be paid for by Guyanese taxpayers.
The exploitation message is clear - Guyana pays for the reclamation, after Barama harvests the timber.
It also seems rather like a ‘con-game' that the entire forestry operation of Barama should not be considered in the FSC certification. Secondly, it also seems peculiar that the whole operational history of the company would also not be considered. FSC certification is good for any forestry company (local/international) operating in Guyana .
But the FSC Certification must not be obtained on false or questionable circumstances. It is just a matter of time before the international community finds out that they have been deceived. The image of the country and all companies in Guyana will be tarnished.
This would affect other sectors of the forestry industry, such as the now developing eco-tourism industry, and Non Timber Forestry Products (NTFPs).
It can also affect other non-related industries and the whole economy of Guyana . The prices to pay for deception and/or such attempts at improprieties are not worth it.
Canada has learned the hard way that the international community can strike hard. In the clear cutting harvesting of old growth forests in a particular pristine forest area in British Columbia (BC), the International Community rallied, and yearly bountiful tourists cancelled coming to BC. Both BC and Canadian products were boycotted.
There was also bad international press with the killing of baby seal pups in Newfoundland . What would happen if Europe, Britain , Canada , and USA , etc., decide to boycott Guyana and Guyanese goods (sugar, rice, sea-foods, vegetables, fruits, ground provisions, etc), or a tariff is imposed on Guyanese goods? The overseas governments' aid, grants, loans, etc., to the Government of Guyana can easily be blocked.
Today, the environmentalist lobby is even more very powerful. We should earn our FSC certification the right way and not even attempt, or seen to be attempting, to deceive the international community.
Barama, the big multinational company, even took charitable handouts from the philanthropic WWF to help pay for its FSC certification, as reported by SN (Tuesday, March 1st, 2005 in BCL close to harvesting international forest certificate, See also Jan 10th, 2005) : “The WWF
(World Wildlife Fund, Guianas) has disbursed about US$160,000 to BCL and about US$25,000 to Variety Woods Limited to push for FSC certification.” Supporters of WWF should at least demand a refund.
The crass and crude exploitation of Guyanese hospitality/resources/vulnerabilities by anyone (local or foreign) is no longer acceptable. Why do we continue to allow ourselves to be so
degraded, humiliated, and exploited in the eyes of the whole world? Canada , with its vast land masses, now realises that the forests are not infinite, and has acted to conserve its natural resources heritage. Guyana is a very small country and should manage all its natural resources wisely for the benefit of its own people, today and tomorrow.
The question is: what are the Guyanese people going to do about this state of affairs? These questions must be raised in the homes, schools, work places, colleges, universities, rum shops, etc, and Parliament.
We must re-examine all these giveaways now and take corrective actions, or else future generations will think that we were the stupidest and/or the most irresponsible generation in the nation's history.
What will they say of us? We must remember that our silence or failure to act will also speak volumes of this generation and its leadership. Who will stand up for Guyana ?
Our hope lies in our young people to take on all those who dare to abuse us. We must ensure that we are the masters in our own house - our house, our rules.
Seelochan Beharry
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Casino gambling in instead of Guyana Forestry Commission improvement
Marriott hotel likely for Kingston area
By Miranda La Rose
Sunday, February 25th 2007
A five-star hotel under the franchised Marriott Hotels brand could soon be established in Kingston, George-town, in direct competition with the 250-room Buddy's International Hotel and Resort and the well-established Le Meridien Pegasus.
This newspaper understands that a consortium of private developers, which includes foreign investors, has expressed interest and has begun groundwork for the construction of a 250- to 300-room property in the Kingston area close to Le Meridien Pegasus.
The deal was apparently contingent on casino legislation being passed. Govern-ment sources have shied away from answering questions on this issue directly.
However, this newspaper was told that the investors were bidding for the Marriott Hotels and Resorts franchise which would see the Marriott managing the facility, and would include a casino.
The project in the historic Kingston area, this newspaper understands, would encompass the buildings that currently accommodate the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Government Food and Drug Analyst Department and the former Luckhoo Swimming Pool.
It is projected that the government would relocate the GFC to the building to be constructed at the site of the old Broadcasting House on High Street.
The Kingston project has been in the pipeline for over two years. According to reports, when the investors were in the country over two years ago they expressed interest in casino gambling to compensate for their investment.
According to its website, Marriott International is one of the world's leading hoteliers with more than 2,700 operated or franchised properties in the USA and in 66 countries.
Marriott hotels include such full-service brands as Renaissance and Marriott hotels and resorts; as well as select-service and extended-stay brands like Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Spring Hill Suites and Ramada International.
The company develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Luxury hotel chain and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands. It operates Marriott Executive Apart-ments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division and operates conference centres.
The Marriott family, including Chief Executive Officer JW Marriott, Jnr, owns about 15% of the company.
In March 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo had told Christian leaders, who had expressed their concerns about the negative effects of casino gambling that on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country, feasibility studies and analysis on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country showed that "no hotel beyond, maybe US$2 million or US$3 million will be sustainable because the number of visitors are too low."
He had said that there was a proposal for the construction of a 14-storey hotel to be built at a cost of US$70 million. "The only way we could justify that, which is badly needed, the infrastructure, is if we [they] get casino licences," he had said. He did not mention the name of the investors making the proposal.
Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva had also told television host Christopher Ram on 'Plain Talk' in February last year that the government had given a commitment to grant potential investors casino licences pending legislation.
At the time, the Buddy's International Hotel had begun construction at Providence and the debate on the legislation of casino gambling had just surfaced through this newspaper.
Buddy's owner Omprakash Shivraj had told Stabroek News that he was interested in casino gambling and that he had facilities built into the hotel to provide for casino gambling even before the enabling legislation was passed in parliament.
Jagdeo was reported as telling journalists on November 8, 2006 that he was going ahead with legislation for casino gambling in time for the CWC tournament but subsequently denied that the legislation was to facilitate casino gambling in time for CWC. Only new hotels with over 150 rooms among other conditions would qualify. At present, based on what the law contains only Buddy's International Hotel would qualify for a casino licence.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee told Stabroek News during the budget debate that there had been no applications for casino licences so far. He said after the debate was over he was going to look at putting together the regulations which would guide the establishment of the gaming authority.
The law to enable casino gambling allows for three casinos in each of the country's administrative regions.
On Thursday, at the opening of Buddy's, Guyana's largest multi-million dollar hotel, President Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the proprietor to maintain the hotel's standard as there would be other large hotels built in the country in the near future.
StabroekNewsMarriott hotel likely for Kingston area
By Miranda La Rose
Sunday, February 25th 2007
A five-star hotel under the franchised Marriott Hotels brand could soon be established in Kingston, George-town, in direct competition with the 250-room Buddy's International Hotel and Resort and the well-established Le Meridien Pegasus.
This newspaper understands that a consortium of private developers, which includes foreign investors, has expressed interest and has begun groundwork for the construction of a 250- to 300-room property in the Kingston area close to Le Meridien Pegasus.
The deal was apparently contingent on casino legislation being passed. Govern-ment sources have shied away from answering questions on this issue directly.
However, this newspaper was told that the investors were bidding for the Marriott Hotels and Resorts franchise which would see the Marriott managing the facility, and would include a casino.
The project in the historic Kingston area, this newspaper understands, would encompass the buildings that currently accommodate the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Government Food and Drug Analyst Department and the former Luckhoo Swimming Pool.
It is projected that the government would relocate the GFC to the building to be constructed at the site of the old Broadcasting House on High Street.
The Kingston project has been in the pipeline for over two years. According to reports, when the investors were in the country over two years ago they expressed interest in casino gambling to compensate for their investment.
According to its website, Marriott International is one of the world's leading hoteliers with more than 2,700 operated or franchised properties in the USA and in 66 countries.
Marriott hotels include such full-service brands as Renaissance and Marriott hotels and resorts; as well as select-service and extended-stay brands like Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Spring Hill Suites and Ramada International.
The company develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Luxury hotel chain and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands. It operates Marriott Executive Apart-ments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division and operates conference centres.
The Marriott family, including Chief Executive Officer JW Marriott, Jnr, owns about 15% of the company.
In March 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo had told Christian leaders, who had expressed their concerns about the negative effects of casino gambling that on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country, feasibility studies and analysis on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country showed that "no hotel beyond, maybe US$2 million or US$3 million will be sustainable because the number of visitors are too low."
He had said that there was a proposal for the construction of a 14-storey hotel to be built at a cost of US$70 million. "The only way we could justify that, which is badly needed, the infrastructure, is if we [they] get casino licences," he had said. He did not mention the name of the investors making the proposal.
Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva had also told television host Christopher Ram on 'Plain Talk' in February last year that the government had given a commitment to grant potential investors casino licences pending legislation.
At the time, the Buddy's International Hotel had begun construction at Providence and the debate on the legislation of casino gambling had just surfaced through this newspaper.
Buddy's owner Omprakash Shivraj had told Stabroek News that he was interested in casino gambling and that he had facilities built into the hotel to provide for casino gambling even before the enabling legislation was passed in parliament.
Jagdeo was reported as telling journalists on November 8, 2006 that he was going ahead with legislation for casino gambling in time for the CWC tournament but subsequently denied that the legislation was to facilitate casino gambling in time for CWC. Only new hotels with over 150 rooms among other conditions would qualify. At present, based on what the law contains only Buddy's International Hotel would qualify for a casino licence.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee told Stabroek News during the budget debate that there had been no applications for casino licences so far. He said after the debate was over he was going to look at putting together the regulations which would guide the establishment of the gaming authority.
The law to enable casino gambling allows for three casinos in each of the country's administrative regions.
On Thursday, at the opening of Buddy's, Guyana's largest multi-million dollar hotel, President Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the proprietor to maintain the hotel's standard as there would be other large hotels built in the country in the near future.
StabroekNews
By Miranda La Rose
Sunday, February 25th 2007
A five-star hotel under the franchised Marriott Hotels brand could soon be established in Kingston, George-town, in direct competition with the 250-room Buddy's International Hotel and Resort and the well-established Le Meridien Pegasus.
This newspaper understands that a consortium of private developers, which includes foreign investors, has expressed interest and has begun groundwork for the construction of a 250- to 300-room property in the Kingston area close to Le Meridien Pegasus.
The deal was apparently contingent on casino legislation being passed. Govern-ment sources have shied away from answering questions on this issue directly.
However, this newspaper was told that the investors were bidding for the Marriott Hotels and Resorts franchise which would see the Marriott managing the facility, and would include a casino.
The project in the historic Kingston area, this newspaper understands, would encompass the buildings that currently accommodate the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Government Food and Drug Analyst Department and the former Luckhoo Swimming Pool.
It is projected that the government would relocate the GFC to the building to be constructed at the site of the old Broadcasting House on High Street.
The Kingston project has been in the pipeline for over two years. According to reports, when the investors were in the country over two years ago they expressed interest in casino gambling to compensate for their investment.
According to its website, Marriott International is one of the world's leading hoteliers with more than 2,700 operated or franchised properties in the USA and in 66 countries.
Marriott hotels include such full-service brands as Renaissance and Marriott hotels and resorts; as well as select-service and extended-stay brands like Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Spring Hill Suites and Ramada International.
The company develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Luxury hotel chain and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands. It operates Marriott Executive Apart-ments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division and operates conference centres.
The Marriott family, including Chief Executive Officer JW Marriott, Jnr, owns about 15% of the company.
In March 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo had told Christian leaders, who had expressed their concerns about the negative effects of casino gambling that on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country, feasibility studies and analysis on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country showed that "no hotel beyond, maybe US$2 million or US$3 million will be sustainable because the number of visitors are too low."
He had said that there was a proposal for the construction of a 14-storey hotel to be built at a cost of US$70 million. "The only way we could justify that, which is badly needed, the infrastructure, is if we [they] get casino licences," he had said. He did not mention the name of the investors making the proposal.
Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva had also told television host Christopher Ram on 'Plain Talk' in February last year that the government had given a commitment to grant potential investors casino licences pending legislation.
At the time, the Buddy's International Hotel had begun construction at Providence and the debate on the legislation of casino gambling had just surfaced through this newspaper.
Buddy's owner Omprakash Shivraj had told Stabroek News that he was interested in casino gambling and that he had facilities built into the hotel to provide for casino gambling even before the enabling legislation was passed in parliament.
Jagdeo was reported as telling journalists on November 8, 2006 that he was going ahead with legislation for casino gambling in time for the CWC tournament but subsequently denied that the legislation was to facilitate casino gambling in time for CWC. Only new hotels with over 150 rooms among other conditions would qualify. At present, based on what the law contains only Buddy's International Hotel would qualify for a casino licence.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee told Stabroek News during the budget debate that there had been no applications for casino licences so far. He said after the debate was over he was going to look at putting together the regulations which would guide the establishment of the gaming authority.
The law to enable casino gambling allows for three casinos in each of the country's administrative regions.
On Thursday, at the opening of Buddy's, Guyana's largest multi-million dollar hotel, President Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the proprietor to maintain the hotel's standard as there would be other large hotels built in the country in the near future.
StabroekNewsMarriott hotel likely for Kingston area
By Miranda La Rose
Sunday, February 25th 2007
A five-star hotel under the franchised Marriott Hotels brand could soon be established in Kingston, George-town, in direct competition with the 250-room Buddy's International Hotel and Resort and the well-established Le Meridien Pegasus.
This newspaper understands that a consortium of private developers, which includes foreign investors, has expressed interest and has begun groundwork for the construction of a 250- to 300-room property in the Kingston area close to Le Meridien Pegasus.
The deal was apparently contingent on casino legislation being passed. Govern-ment sources have shied away from answering questions on this issue directly.
However, this newspaper was told that the investors were bidding for the Marriott Hotels and Resorts franchise which would see the Marriott managing the facility, and would include a casino.
The project in the historic Kingston area, this newspaper understands, would encompass the buildings that currently accommodate the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Government Food and Drug Analyst Department and the former Luckhoo Swimming Pool.
It is projected that the government would relocate the GFC to the building to be constructed at the site of the old Broadcasting House on High Street.
The Kingston project has been in the pipeline for over two years. According to reports, when the investors were in the country over two years ago they expressed interest in casino gambling to compensate for their investment.
According to its website, Marriott International is one of the world's leading hoteliers with more than 2,700 operated or franchised properties in the USA and in 66 countries.
Marriott hotels include such full-service brands as Renaissance and Marriott hotels and resorts; as well as select-service and extended-stay brands like Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Spring Hill Suites and Ramada International.
The company develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Luxury hotel chain and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands. It operates Marriott Executive Apart-ments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division and operates conference centres.
The Marriott family, including Chief Executive Officer JW Marriott, Jnr, owns about 15% of the company.
In March 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo had told Christian leaders, who had expressed their concerns about the negative effects of casino gambling that on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country, feasibility studies and analysis on the basis of visitor arrivals in the country showed that "no hotel beyond, maybe US$2 million or US$3 million will be sustainable because the number of visitors are too low."
He had said that there was a proposal for the construction of a 14-storey hotel to be built at a cost of US$70 million. "The only way we could justify that, which is badly needed, the infrastructure, is if we [they] get casino licences," he had said. He did not mention the name of the investors making the proposal.
Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) Geoffrey Da Silva had also told television host Christopher Ram on 'Plain Talk' in February last year that the government had given a commitment to grant potential investors casino licences pending legislation.
At the time, the Buddy's International Hotel had begun construction at Providence and the debate on the legislation of casino gambling had just surfaced through this newspaper.
Buddy's owner Omprakash Shivraj had told Stabroek News that he was interested in casino gambling and that he had facilities built into the hotel to provide for casino gambling even before the enabling legislation was passed in parliament.
Jagdeo was reported as telling journalists on November 8, 2006 that he was going ahead with legislation for casino gambling in time for the CWC tournament but subsequently denied that the legislation was to facilitate casino gambling in time for CWC. Only new hotels with over 150 rooms among other conditions would qualify. At present, based on what the law contains only Buddy's International Hotel would qualify for a casino licence.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee told Stabroek News during the budget debate that there had been no applications for casino licences so far. He said after the debate was over he was going to look at putting together the regulations which would guide the establishment of the gaming authority.
The law to enable casino gambling allows for three casinos in each of the country's administrative regions.
On Thursday, at the opening of Buddy's, Guyana's largest multi-million dollar hotel, President Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the proprietor to maintain the hotel's standard as there would be other large hotels built in the country in the near future.
StabroekNews
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Dr. C. Jagan and the Forestry Industry in Guyana
Dr. C. Jagan and the Forestry
Industry in Guyana
Kaieteur News, 23 February 2007
Dear Editor,
Dr. Cheddi Jagan (as Leader of the Opposition PPP) had rightly condemned the Hoyte/PNC Govt.-Barama deal when details of the biggest forestry giveaway in
Guyana 's history were made public.
On assuming office, the PPP Govt. under Dr Jagan made its own ugly blunders under the watch of the President's brother-in-law. The situation alarmed many of the NGOs stationed in Guyana , and also the international community.
Dr Jagan (responding to these criticisms/pressures that his Govt. was receiving)
instituted a freeze on the handing out of concessions. However, during this ?freeze period,? ?exploratory permits? were handed out from the President's Office. Exploratory permits were then illegal under Guyanese law. The law was subsequently changed to make an illegal act legal.
Dr. C. Jagan probably chose not to re-negotiate the Barama deal, for fear that
foreign investment will not come to Guyana , especially in light of Dr.Jagan's
leftist past. We may not agree with him, but we can probably understand his
situation, especially with his anti-capitalist history. What we cannot understand is why he allowed his Govt.'s image to be also tarnished with more giveaways. What is even more perplexing is that he invited Asian companies to come to Guyana , inexplicably saying that they (because of their non-colonial past) would be less likely to exploit the peoples of the Third World! The companies that responded to his invitation all wanted the same deal given to Barama! That must have opened his eyes and made him realise that ?business is business' ? nationality/ethnicity/origin and ?non-colonial past' have nothing to do with unscrupulous business practices. Berjaya came and stayed,and is now majority owner of UNAMCO.
To his credit, Dr. Jagan realised that the Guyanese people were not getting the
expected benefits from Guyana 's natural resources, in this case forestry. Dr
Jagan read the work (Backs to the Wall in Suriname : Forest policy in Crisis)
of Dr. Nigel Sizer (WRI Senior Associate) and Mr Richard Rice (Director of
economic policy at Conservation International).
Dr. N. Sizer is a British forestry expert who had done work for the neighbouring
Surinamese Govt. Dr Jagan invited Dr. Sizer to visit Guyana and to make:
(1) A Detailed Analysis of the forestry industry in Guyana , and
(2) Appropriate Recommendations for both a sustainable and profitable forestry
industry.
Dr.Nigel Sizer had the highest level access to personnel and the cooperation of
all in Govt. and industry. The result is his benchmark work: Profit without Plunder. This informative summary can be found at: http://biodiv.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=2730
In 1995, President Jagan invited WRI (World Resources Institute) to help him
identify options for reforming forest policy in Guyana . This new study,Profit Without Plunder: Reaping Revenue from Guyana 's Tropical Forests Without Destroying Them, was WRI's response. The study's author, Dr.Nigel Sizer, explores ways to enhance income from the traditional timber industry and from such alternative forest-based development as tourism, genetic resource harvesting, and non-timber forest products.
Based upon this extensive research, Dr. Sizer recommends several priority actions and emphasizes the need for international bilateral and multilateral agencies to better coordinate their efforts.? (ISBN 1-56973-103-9) 68 pages, WRI, 1996). An on-line version of the full report is found at: http://pdf.wri.org/profitwithoutplunder_bw.pdf
The study was released at a news conference in Georgetown , Guyana on September
12, 1996 by WRI President Mr. Jonathan Lash and Dr. Nigel Sizer, WRI senior
associate and the study's author.? The author was very generous with his praise of Dr. C. Jagan and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
We were therefore under the impression that Dr C. Jagan, GFC, and Guyana had
accepted this commissioned report of Dr. Sizer, and were in process of implementing the report's several recommendations. We now had a study that pointed the way to make a profit without destructive plunder from the forests,thereby avoiding the mistake of others.
Dr Jagan obviously took a very sensible and rational first step towards
profitability and sustainability. He was commended for his action by several
individuals/groups. We had a decade to implement Dr. Sizer's recommendations.
Recently, we were therefore surprised to learn from the Commissioner of Forestry, that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) does not accept Dr Nigel Sizer's recommendations. (That was in response to Ms. Janette Bulkan's statement that the GFC is not following Dr. N. Sizer's recommendations). One would have thought that the GFC must have therefore found something better. But this is not so, we now find the GFC is defending the Barama deal with the same reasons that Dr Jagan found unacceptable and therefore commissioned the report! So this means that we are back to square one - 10 years lost! If Dr. Sizer's recommendations were ignored, why should other credible international sources come and spend time and resources here in Guyana?
Why did the PNC members on the GFC not alert us as to this deviation or abandonment of Dr Sizer's professional recommendations? What purpose or whose interests are these GFC members serving? This silence is a rare show of unity by the PPP and PNC controlled board. We must therefore ask why? Are certain members of these two parties and their friends/benefactors benefiting? What is/are the connection(s) between these GFC members and the forestry industry? More questions can easily be asked.
The Forestry experts of the Forestry Dept have a long history of professionalism
in pre-independent Guyana. What has happened for this radical shift in direction? What we would like to know is who ordered the change in direction at the GFC? What is the ?better plan' now being followed? Was the technical and professional staff/advice of the Forestry experts of the GFC over-ruled by politicians? Do directives come from the President's Office? I am certain that the professionals at the Forestry Dept want to continue their tradition of professionalism. National policies on Natural Resources should be debated and approved by the public and parliament. The Guyanese Public must be informed of radical shifts in the handling of the nation's resources.
Currently, forestry is not performing to its full benefit to Guyana. The biology, ecology, and cultivation of some of the top species in demand (e.g. greenheart, bulletwood, pulpleheart) are not being studied at UG or anywhere else in Guyana. Guyana used to produce Mahogany, as is even documented by Dr.William Beebe in his studies at Kartabo, Essequibo (1914). Is anything (research, etc.) being done to revive the growth of this species that has always been in high demand world wide?
We have recently read (SN) that the animals (birds included) that play a large
part in the forest ecology are also getting scarce (due to over-harvesting). We
know that soil chemistry is fundamental to understanding the growth of tropical
forests, yet here is no division of soil chemistry at UG! I can give more
examples. There is apparently no coordinated game plan among the several
stakeholders (Govt.-GFC ? Industry-University-Environmentalists-Amerindians-and other interested parties.)
The earnings of monies for Non-Timber Forestry Products (NTFP), in particular
biopharmaceuticals, have not been promoted. More recently, we saw that
all the samples collected to be tested at UG were destroyed. UG (Chemistry and/or
Biology Depts.) has no one doing research on the putative medicinal plants of
Guyana. Dr. Anand Daljeet (Chemist) and I (Biochemist/Chemist) were interested
in this field of study, but could not get the projects off the ground (besides
the most crude and rudimentary work) because of the lack of equipment and
infrastructure at UG. We have mentioned this so many times before.
Incidentally, others had asked whether Guyana was benefiting from the studies
carried out by IWOKRAMA on potential beneficial medicinal plants. The response
was that Iwokrama send copies of their reports to the Environmental Research
Unit at UG. We know that Unit has no ?hardcore' local/UG chemist to understand the work. It keeps coming back to us having our own people in place to look out for our own interests ? particularly at UG. We chase away the people who are well-qualified to serve the needs of the nation. Yet we are still surprised that we are poor.
To this day, I cannot understand why Dr C. Jagan did not invest in and restore
UG, particularly science and technology, knowing that these areas were so vital
to all national developmental initiatives for the resources sector - to lift us
from poverty. I am certain that he knew about the biopharmaceutical potential
of Guyana. These are another set of opportunities lost for reasons we do not
know. We are still waiting to see the current Govt.'s Science and technology
policies. There is still a vital need for a Ministry of Higher Education,
Science, and Technology.
Would the GFC (with both PPP and PNC members) or the PPP Govt. please tell us
why Dr C. Jagan's acceptance of Dr Nigel Sizer's report was later rejected?
What is the new master plan?
Seelochan Beharry
Industry in Guyana
Kaieteur News, 23 February 2007
Dear Editor,
Dr. Cheddi Jagan (as Leader of the Opposition PPP) had rightly condemned the Hoyte/PNC Govt.-Barama deal when details of the biggest forestry giveaway in
Guyana 's history were made public.
On assuming office, the PPP Govt. under Dr Jagan made its own ugly blunders under the watch of the President's brother-in-law. The situation alarmed many of the NGOs stationed in Guyana , and also the international community.
Dr Jagan (responding to these criticisms/pressures that his Govt. was receiving)
instituted a freeze on the handing out of concessions. However, during this ?freeze period,? ?exploratory permits? were handed out from the President's Office. Exploratory permits were then illegal under Guyanese law. The law was subsequently changed to make an illegal act legal.
Dr. C. Jagan probably chose not to re-negotiate the Barama deal, for fear that
foreign investment will not come to Guyana , especially in light of Dr.Jagan's
leftist past. We may not agree with him, but we can probably understand his
situation, especially with his anti-capitalist history. What we cannot understand is why he allowed his Govt.'s image to be also tarnished with more giveaways. What is even more perplexing is that he invited Asian companies to come to Guyana , inexplicably saying that they (because of their non-colonial past) would be less likely to exploit the peoples of the Third World! The companies that responded to his invitation all wanted the same deal given to Barama! That must have opened his eyes and made him realise that ?business is business' ? nationality/ethnicity/origin and ?non-colonial past' have nothing to do with unscrupulous business practices. Berjaya came and stayed,and is now majority owner of UNAMCO.
To his credit, Dr. Jagan realised that the Guyanese people were not getting the
expected benefits from Guyana 's natural resources, in this case forestry. Dr
Jagan read the work (Backs to the Wall in Suriname : Forest policy in Crisis)
of Dr. Nigel Sizer (WRI Senior Associate) and Mr Richard Rice (Director of
economic policy at Conservation International).
Dr. N. Sizer is a British forestry expert who had done work for the neighbouring
Surinamese Govt. Dr Jagan invited Dr. Sizer to visit Guyana and to make:
(1) A Detailed Analysis of the forestry industry in Guyana , and
(2) Appropriate Recommendations for both a sustainable and profitable forestry
industry.
Dr.Nigel Sizer had the highest level access to personnel and the cooperation of
all in Govt. and industry. The result is his benchmark work: Profit without Plunder. This informative summary can be found at: http://biodiv.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=2730
In 1995, President Jagan invited WRI (World Resources Institute) to help him
identify options for reforming forest policy in Guyana . This new study,Profit Without Plunder: Reaping Revenue from Guyana 's Tropical Forests Without Destroying Them, was WRI's response. The study's author, Dr.Nigel Sizer, explores ways to enhance income from the traditional timber industry and from such alternative forest-based development as tourism, genetic resource harvesting, and non-timber forest products.
Based upon this extensive research, Dr. Sizer recommends several priority actions and emphasizes the need for international bilateral and multilateral agencies to better coordinate their efforts.? (ISBN 1-56973-103-9) 68 pages, WRI, 1996). An on-line version of the full report is found at: http://pdf.wri.org/profitwithoutplunder_bw.pdf
The study was released at a news conference in Georgetown , Guyana on September
12, 1996 by WRI President Mr. Jonathan Lash and Dr. Nigel Sizer, WRI senior
associate and the study's author.? The author was very generous with his praise of Dr. C. Jagan and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
We were therefore under the impression that Dr C. Jagan, GFC, and Guyana had
accepted this commissioned report of Dr. Sizer, and were in process of implementing the report's several recommendations. We now had a study that pointed the way to make a profit without destructive plunder from the forests,thereby avoiding the mistake of others.
Dr Jagan obviously took a very sensible and rational first step towards
profitability and sustainability. He was commended for his action by several
individuals/groups. We had a decade to implement Dr. Sizer's recommendations.
Recently, we were therefore surprised to learn from the Commissioner of Forestry, that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) does not accept Dr Nigel Sizer's recommendations. (That was in response to Ms. Janette Bulkan's statement that the GFC is not following Dr. N. Sizer's recommendations). One would have thought that the GFC must have therefore found something better. But this is not so, we now find the GFC is defending the Barama deal with the same reasons that Dr Jagan found unacceptable and therefore commissioned the report! So this means that we are back to square one - 10 years lost! If Dr. Sizer's recommendations were ignored, why should other credible international sources come and spend time and resources here in Guyana?
Why did the PNC members on the GFC not alert us as to this deviation or abandonment of Dr Sizer's professional recommendations? What purpose or whose interests are these GFC members serving? This silence is a rare show of unity by the PPP and PNC controlled board. We must therefore ask why? Are certain members of these two parties and their friends/benefactors benefiting? What is/are the connection(s) between these GFC members and the forestry industry? More questions can easily be asked.
The Forestry experts of the Forestry Dept have a long history of professionalism
in pre-independent Guyana. What has happened for this radical shift in direction? What we would like to know is who ordered the change in direction at the GFC? What is the ?better plan' now being followed? Was the technical and professional staff/advice of the Forestry experts of the GFC over-ruled by politicians? Do directives come from the President's Office? I am certain that the professionals at the Forestry Dept want to continue their tradition of professionalism. National policies on Natural Resources should be debated and approved by the public and parliament. The Guyanese Public must be informed of radical shifts in the handling of the nation's resources.
Currently, forestry is not performing to its full benefit to Guyana. The biology, ecology, and cultivation of some of the top species in demand (e.g. greenheart, bulletwood, pulpleheart) are not being studied at UG or anywhere else in Guyana. Guyana used to produce Mahogany, as is even documented by Dr.William Beebe in his studies at Kartabo, Essequibo (1914). Is anything (research, etc.) being done to revive the growth of this species that has always been in high demand world wide?
We have recently read (SN) that the animals (birds included) that play a large
part in the forest ecology are also getting scarce (due to over-harvesting). We
know that soil chemistry is fundamental to understanding the growth of tropical
forests, yet here is no division of soil chemistry at UG! I can give more
examples. There is apparently no coordinated game plan among the several
stakeholders (Govt.-GFC ? Industry-University-Environmentalists-Amerindians-and other interested parties.)
The earnings of monies for Non-Timber Forestry Products (NTFP), in particular
biopharmaceuticals, have not been promoted. More recently, we saw that
all the samples collected to be tested at UG were destroyed. UG (Chemistry and/or
Biology Depts.) has no one doing research on the putative medicinal plants of
Guyana. Dr. Anand Daljeet (Chemist) and I (Biochemist/Chemist) were interested
in this field of study, but could not get the projects off the ground (besides
the most crude and rudimentary work) because of the lack of equipment and
infrastructure at UG. We have mentioned this so many times before.
Incidentally, others had asked whether Guyana was benefiting from the studies
carried out by IWOKRAMA on potential beneficial medicinal plants. The response
was that Iwokrama send copies of their reports to the Environmental Research
Unit at UG. We know that Unit has no ?hardcore' local/UG chemist to understand the work. It keeps coming back to us having our own people in place to look out for our own interests ? particularly at UG. We chase away the people who are well-qualified to serve the needs of the nation. Yet we are still surprised that we are poor.
To this day, I cannot understand why Dr C. Jagan did not invest in and restore
UG, particularly science and technology, knowing that these areas were so vital
to all national developmental initiatives for the resources sector - to lift us
from poverty. I am certain that he knew about the biopharmaceutical potential
of Guyana. These are another set of opportunities lost for reasons we do not
know. We are still waiting to see the current Govt.'s Science and technology
policies. There is still a vital need for a Ministry of Higher Education,
Science, and Technology.
Would the GFC (with both PPP and PNC members) or the PPP Govt. please tell us
why Dr C. Jagan's acceptance of Dr Nigel Sizer's report was later rejected?
What is the new master plan?
Seelochan Beharry
Balanced approach to export policy
Prime Minister seeks balanced, practical approach to shaping wood products export policy
Forest producers, Forestry Commission still at loggerheads over log exports
Friday, February 23rd 2007
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has told stakeholders in the country's forestry and wood products sectors that the industry needs to focus more on forging alliances both within and without Guyana if the country's timber industry is to move ahead.
In what appears to be a pointed attempt to quell a protracted row between forest producers and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) over the country's log export policy the Prime Minister has strongly suggested that the industry adopt a balanced and practical approach to shaping a policy on log exports.
"We certainly don't have the markets in Guyana to which we could sell our wood products and therefore, partnerships, alliances with countries are essential. We wouldn't get anywhere with just selling our wood products to ourselves," the Prime Minister told the forum.
The Prime Minister's remarks coincide with what appears to be an increasingly futile lobby by local forest producers to forestall a phased ban on timber exports being recommended by the GFC. At last Saturday's consultative forum organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and the GFC forest producers urged that two options proposed by the GFC for the phased banning of logs be reviewed and that its own "third option," for the implementation of phased restrictions on log exports be seriously considered as a way forward in the shaping of a local log export policy.
At a meeting of members of the Guyana Forest Producers Association (FPA) held last Wednesday Stabroek Business was told of forest producers' fears that last Saturday's forum could be followed by major decisions on log exports that were likely to include a precipitate ban on the export of logs.
The FPA is claiming that last Saturday's forum, which they attended "under protest," took no account of its own proposal that with effect from 2009 the industry reduce exports by 50 per cent and, thereafter, by 10 per cent annually until a full restriction is realized. The FPA's proposal, which, a spokesman for the sector told Stabroek Business was submitted to the GFC last Friday, stipulates that logs retained on the local market be cleared for export in cases where supply exceeded local demand.
Despite meetings with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and other forestry sector officials prior to last Saturday's meeting forest producers were unable to have their proposal discussed at the forum. Instead, the forum discussed two options contained in a paper prepared by the GFC advocating phased bans on a wide range of logs. The GFC discussion paper also proposes complete bans on certain species of timber including locust and purpleheart.
FPA members are contending that the local timber sector lacks the milling capacity to process logs harvested locally and cite the Prime Minister's remarks made at last Saturday's forum as an indication that the GFC's advocacy on the banning of log exports is not universally shared in official circles.
Lobbyists for the wood products sector of the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GMSA) have told Stabroek Business that the unrestricted export of logs is denying the local economy the value-added that can be accrued from the export of processed timber and manufactured wood products. The FPA points out, however, that even the GMSA, in its position paper on the sector, does not advocate an export ban on logs but, instead, recommends the imposition of a levy on log exports.
The FPA's concerns over procedural issues associated with Saturday's meeting were echoed by at least one other stakeholder representative. Stabroek Business was reliably informed that questions were not entertained on the log banning options put forward by the GFC and that the media were expelled from the forum by GFC officials.
The FPA says that its export restriction option will enable simpler log export monitoring by the GFC and will also allow time for existing run-down sawmills to secure capital to modernize processing equipment. FPA members reiterated that should government opt for a ban on the export of logs forest producers will be forced to reduce their operations, resulting in substantial labour displacement.
FPA members are at loggerheads with the GFC and some manufacturers over the capacity of the market to absorb locally produced timber even though Stabroek Business has been told that a local manufacturer has had to resort to importing timber because of the unavailability of supplies from local producers. FPA members contend, however, that the issue is one of price rather than availability and that local forest producers are entirely prepared to do business with the manufacturing sector if it is prepared to pay the prices that are paid on the export market. Local forest producers also say that manufacturers in the wood sector who have received forestry concessions should begin to exploit those concessions in order to guarantee their wood supplies.
StabroekNews
Forest producers, Forestry Commission still at loggerheads over log exports
Friday, February 23rd 2007
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has told stakeholders in the country's forestry and wood products sectors that the industry needs to focus more on forging alliances both within and without Guyana if the country's timber industry is to move ahead.
In what appears to be a pointed attempt to quell a protracted row between forest producers and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) over the country's log export policy the Prime Minister has strongly suggested that the industry adopt a balanced and practical approach to shaping a policy on log exports.
"We certainly don't have the markets in Guyana to which we could sell our wood products and therefore, partnerships, alliances with countries are essential. We wouldn't get anywhere with just selling our wood products to ourselves," the Prime Minister told the forum.
The Prime Minister's remarks coincide with what appears to be an increasingly futile lobby by local forest producers to forestall a phased ban on timber exports being recommended by the GFC. At last Saturday's consultative forum organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and the GFC forest producers urged that two options proposed by the GFC for the phased banning of logs be reviewed and that its own "third option," for the implementation of phased restrictions on log exports be seriously considered as a way forward in the shaping of a local log export policy.
At a meeting of members of the Guyana Forest Producers Association (FPA) held last Wednesday Stabroek Business was told of forest producers' fears that last Saturday's forum could be followed by major decisions on log exports that were likely to include a precipitate ban on the export of logs.
The FPA is claiming that last Saturday's forum, which they attended "under protest," took no account of its own proposal that with effect from 2009 the industry reduce exports by 50 per cent and, thereafter, by 10 per cent annually until a full restriction is realized. The FPA's proposal, which, a spokesman for the sector told Stabroek Business was submitted to the GFC last Friday, stipulates that logs retained on the local market be cleared for export in cases where supply exceeded local demand.
Despite meetings with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and other forestry sector officials prior to last Saturday's meeting forest producers were unable to have their proposal discussed at the forum. Instead, the forum discussed two options contained in a paper prepared by the GFC advocating phased bans on a wide range of logs. The GFC discussion paper also proposes complete bans on certain species of timber including locust and purpleheart.
FPA members are contending that the local timber sector lacks the milling capacity to process logs harvested locally and cite the Prime Minister's remarks made at last Saturday's forum as an indication that the GFC's advocacy on the banning of log exports is not universally shared in official circles.
Lobbyists for the wood products sector of the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GMSA) have told Stabroek Business that the unrestricted export of logs is denying the local economy the value-added that can be accrued from the export of processed timber and manufactured wood products. The FPA points out, however, that even the GMSA, in its position paper on the sector, does not advocate an export ban on logs but, instead, recommends the imposition of a levy on log exports.
The FPA's concerns over procedural issues associated with Saturday's meeting were echoed by at least one other stakeholder representative. Stabroek Business was reliably informed that questions were not entertained on the log banning options put forward by the GFC and that the media were expelled from the forum by GFC officials.
The FPA says that its export restriction option will enable simpler log export monitoring by the GFC and will also allow time for existing run-down sawmills to secure capital to modernize processing equipment. FPA members reiterated that should government opt for a ban on the export of logs forest producers will be forced to reduce their operations, resulting in substantial labour displacement.
FPA members are at loggerheads with the GFC and some manufacturers over the capacity of the market to absorb locally produced timber even though Stabroek Business has been told that a local manufacturer has had to resort to importing timber because of the unavailability of supplies from local producers. FPA members contend, however, that the issue is one of price rather than availability and that local forest producers are entirely prepared to do business with the manufacturing sector if it is prepared to pay the prices that are paid on the export market. Local forest producers also say that manufacturers in the wood sector who have received forestry concessions should begin to exploit those concessions in order to guarantee their wood supplies.
StabroekNews
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Chainsaw ripping in Guyana
Forestry: Chainsaw 'ripping' in Guyana
Tuesday, February 20th 2007
Chainsaw logging in Guyana - in the commercial sense that is - is considered to have had its origins in the depressed bauxite communities during the early 1980s when the demise of mining left hundreds of people jobless (circa 1980-83). In Ituni, a mining community of several hundred people, all of the bauxite workers were retrenched. In 1983 a few enterprising individuals turned to the forest for a livelihood. They found that they could produce lumber at competitive prices - relative to what was being charged by sawmills for low-grade material - and commenced supplying markets in Linden and Georgetown.
The commencement of this economic activity also saw many of the workers who had been retained by the scaled-down bauxite industry resign their jobs to pursue what they considered to be more lucrative employment. Thus began an economic activity which, to this day, remains critical to the economy of that region.
The advent of chainsaw logging took place during a period when large timber/ sawmill operators were selling their second/third grade material at what was considered a high price of US$0.75c on the local market. This was period during which imports were restricted and local materials in high demand.
The chainsaw "ripping" industry grew in "fits and starts" due primarily to the scarcity of equipment as a result of import restrictions. By the end of the 1980s, however, with the removal of import restrictions, the industry grew steadily from year to year.
The expansion of chainsaw logging also coincided with a downturn in the market price of greenheart for marine construction in Europe. Millers, therefore, were compelled to pay closer attention to the local market. While their "sash gang" mills well suited to producing large long squares they were not suited to producing one and two-inch thick material for the new export (boards) and local markets. Inevitably, both productivity and recovery suffered leading to huge increases in costs of production.
"Sash gang" saws cut blind resulting in poor recovery of volume, a circumstance that has serious implications for wastage of high grade lumber. Gang saws allow for the opening of the face of logs to detect defects and "cut around" those defects. Wastage, therefore is minimized.
When the large millers begun to refocus their attention on the local market during the 1990s they found an ample supply of cheap lumber supplied by chainsaw operators. Confronted with their own economic pressures they immediately cried "foul," complaining that the cheap supplies being offered by the chainsaw loggers was a function of the fact that they were operating illegally. The reality is different. Large operators have, over the years, been unmindful of the country's poor forest resources and at any rate the reality is that the illegal aspect of the operations of chainsaw loggers represent only about 5%of their operational costs.
The large concessionaires point to what they say is the waste of wood and unsustainable practices that result from chainsaw logging. A DFID-funded FRP Chainsaw logging Conversion Study carried out in January / February, 2006 -using a majority of one -inch thick material and some two-inch thick material at three different geographical sites - found that the average "merchantable" recovery for chainsaws was 44.4% while the average "merchantable" recovery from some of the most modern sawmills was 35.5%. Who, then, is really wasting wood?
The real reason why chainsaws produce lumber at such a low cost is simple - It takes the means of production to the tree rather than the tree to the means of production.
It is the role of chainsaw logging in supporting rural communities in Guyana that is, however, the real story. While the conventional logging/milling sector has been the recipient of substantial concessionary financing over the years our intrepid chainsaw operators have been vilified, harassed and treated with contempt. The fact is, however, that chainsaw operators actually pay their way. A study conducted by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) in 2001/ 2002 found that chainsaw operators were paying almost half of the royalties being received by the GFC despite the fact that it occupies less than ¼ of the allocated forested lands. It should be added that chainsaw loggers "work" the worst, most denuded lands and that land being the worst and most denuded lands, already worked over by loggers and large concessionaires.
What is even more important than their contribution to the state coffers is their contribution to rural livelihoods. The aforementioned DFID/FRP Study found that, at a minimum, 70% of the money secured from sales made by chainsaw loggers returns to the communities. This figure is believed to have amounted to as much as $1 billion last year. Chainsaw logging also employs 75 per cent of the workers in the forestry sector.
During the nascent years of Precision Woodworking Ltd and in the wake of refusal by traditional millers to supply wood to certain manufacturers. it was the chainsaw sector that stepped in to fill the void.
Unfortunately, the much sought after Locust species exists only in limited quantifies on the concessions operated by chainsaw loggers hence their importation of this species from Brazil. When Bulkan Timberworks Inc. raised concerns about log exports in 2003 the milling sector immediately cut off its supply of Purpleheart. Again, the chainsaw loggers came to the rescue. Today, 70 % of all local lumber is supplied by the chainsaw operators. All of Bulkan Timberworks' supplies are provided by the chainsaw sector.
It is the chainsaw sector that has been the backbone of the manufacturing industry. It kept the manufacturing sector since the massive increase in log exports at the expense of local, value -added consumption left the manufacturing sector operating at 50% of capacity. In 2005, for example, Purpleheart constituted 42 % of all sawn and dressed lumber exports. Purpleheart is one of the most-used species by local manufacturers and that gap has been filled by chainsaw loggers.
There are two hundred and thirty state forest permits in Guyana today. Of these, four expatriate companies - through the expedient of subletting, in breach of article 13 of the Guyana Forest Act of 1953 - control more than 52% of the allocated state forests, and, more importantly, 69% of the prime concessions. In effect, and notwithstanding the valuable role that they continue to play in the Guyana economy, the significance of the chainsaw logger is being continually downplayed vis-Ã -vis the large operator whose proven intent is the wholesale export of prime species.
Significantly, chainsaw loggers appear to be the only operators in the forestry sector willing to embrace change and new technology. The large concessionaires have either closed down their mills for the short term expedient of increasing log exports or have assumed a posture that suggests an unwillingness to embrace portable technology. The portable sawmill is, in reality, a more efficient and effective chainsaw, providing higher recovery and better quality lumber.
What is needed in the timber industry is the movement of processing closer to the stump - so to speak - and to add as much "in country" value as possible thereby ensuring increased employment, greater revenue generation and skills transfer. In the case of the chainsaw operator vs the large logger, bigger is not better.
A more than eminent case has long existed for according the chainsaw sector greater recognition through an equitable redistribution of forest lands. For example, lands that are being held under illegal sub-let arrangements should be retrieved and redistributed. Instead, the number of chainsaw portable mill operators have continued to decline despite their obvious contribution to the sector and the economy as a whole and their desire to enhance the efficiency of their operations.
Internationally, it has long been recognized that the chainsaw operator is a legitimate part of the logging industry and that chainsaw logging is as a valid method of harvesting forest resources as any other particularly when account is taken of its considerable contribution to state revenue and rural livelihoods.
FRP - Chainsaw logging Conversion study 2006
FRP - Chainsaw Logging Marketing study 2006
LTS - Iwokrama timber harvesting study 2001
Member GMSA Wood Sector Group.
IPED - Youth Entrepeneurship Mentorship scheme
StabroekNews
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Stabroek News and Mrs Jagan
http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/Archive/feb%2007/12/index.htm#Editorial
Editorial
Kaieteur News
12 February 2007
Stabroek News and Mrs Jagan
Sometimes situations drag people or organisations into situations that
they desperately seek to avoid. We have not missed the various
statements emanating from the Stabroek News concerning Kaieteur News.
The description of this newspaper as the unmentionable rag, and all
manner of derogatory names, has not escaped us.
Indeed, there were columnists attached to this newspaper who got
involved in the debate about the withdrawal of advertisements from the
Stabroek News and, as Mrs Janet Jagan conceded, we did not get any
Government advertisements for 10 years, but we made not a noise about
it.
It is not our duty to attack a sister newspaper, in the same way that a
lawyer would not attack another lawyer or a doctor being reluctant to
testify against a colleague. The owners of the Stabroek News would not
hesitate to admit that whenever that newspaper experienced a crisis it
turned to us, and, unhesitatingly, we offered our help.
So it was indeed a surprise when Mrs Jagan rushed to pass judgement on
this newspaper, and Stabroek News, undoubtedly with glee, hastened to
reproduce her comment. Mrs Jagan is one of the prominent people in this
society. She was once the Head of State and, as such, wielded
tremendous power.
She was also not one to take kindly to opposition. When The Evening
News reporter Elaine Ross sought to solicit a comment from her, she
looked at the reporter, asked her which media house she represented,
and walked away without deigning to answer the question.
It was Mrs Jagan who telephoned Barama Company Limited, when she learnt
that one of her opponents had been working there, and used her not
inconsiderable influence to have the company release that employee. For
her to now comment on the advertising issue, and sound like an angel,
is to seek to pull wool over the eyes of those who either do not know
her or are too afraid to examine her utterings.
Mrs Jagan did not have choice words for Kaieteur News. In her view,
this is “a lousy newspaper filled with nonsense I don't wish to read.”
She said that she stopped reading it a long time ago because of its
sensationalism. But we hasten to ask, “How is it that she was able to
know that we wrote about the 10-year absence of government
advertisements from our pages?”
She read it, surely but her age is causing her to forget.
If the sensationalism is nonsense, so be it, but we stand proud in the
fact that we are the most sought after newspaper in the country, and
even on the Internet.
For the majority of readers who buy this newspaper, though, Mrs Jagan's
comments represent an indictment on them. They, according to Mrs Jagan,
have a penchant for nonsense.
But what is the ‘‘nonsense'' of which Mrs Jagan speaks? This newspaper
has the record for breaking stories and for bringing to the attention
of the public many of the things that would have remained hidden. It
informed the Police of their shortcomings, and helped in so many ways
that they are eternally grateful to us.
We were the people who informed the nation of the missing AK-47s; of
the death of some of the killers in foreign lands; and of the myriad
problems in every part of the country, while others found these things
to be of no consequence.
Indeed, we were sensational, because that is the nature of some
newspapers, and our sensationalism merely highlighted the sick society
in which we lived. We never professed to be the bearers of good news or
the people who have a vested interest in watering down the truth.
Of course, we have come a long way from those days when our publication
of dead criminals sold this newspaper. We can be compared to any
newspaper in any part of the region because of our news coverage, so
much so that recently, when there was a regional forum in Trinidad and
the organizers professed to be unaware of our existence, there were
people who insisted that we be present. We were represented.
And as the Stabroek News protestations continue, we now note that Mr
David de Caires is now claiming that he has not lost all Government
advertisements. That is certainly a far cry from what the newspaper
stated when it made its first noise over the advertisement issue.
Editorial
Kaieteur News
12 February 2007
Stabroek News and Mrs Jagan
Sometimes situations drag people or organisations into situations that
they desperately seek to avoid. We have not missed the various
statements emanating from the Stabroek News concerning Kaieteur News.
The description of this newspaper as the unmentionable rag, and all
manner of derogatory names, has not escaped us.
Indeed, there were columnists attached to this newspaper who got
involved in the debate about the withdrawal of advertisements from the
Stabroek News and, as Mrs Janet Jagan conceded, we did not get any
Government advertisements for 10 years, but we made not a noise about
it.
It is not our duty to attack a sister newspaper, in the same way that a
lawyer would not attack another lawyer or a doctor being reluctant to
testify against a colleague. The owners of the Stabroek News would not
hesitate to admit that whenever that newspaper experienced a crisis it
turned to us, and, unhesitatingly, we offered our help.
So it was indeed a surprise when Mrs Jagan rushed to pass judgement on
this newspaper, and Stabroek News, undoubtedly with glee, hastened to
reproduce her comment. Mrs Jagan is one of the prominent people in this
society. She was once the Head of State and, as such, wielded
tremendous power.
She was also not one to take kindly to opposition. When The Evening
News reporter Elaine Ross sought to solicit a comment from her, she
looked at the reporter, asked her which media house she represented,
and walked away without deigning to answer the question.
It was Mrs Jagan who telephoned Barama Company Limited, when she learnt
that one of her opponents had been working there, and used her not
inconsiderable influence to have the company release that employee. For
her to now comment on the advertising issue, and sound like an angel,
is to seek to pull wool over the eyes of those who either do not know
her or are too afraid to examine her utterings.
Mrs Jagan did not have choice words for Kaieteur News. In her view,
this is “a lousy newspaper filled with nonsense I don't wish to read.”
She said that she stopped reading it a long time ago because of its
sensationalism. But we hasten to ask, “How is it that she was able to
know that we wrote about the 10-year absence of government
advertisements from our pages?”
She read it, surely but her age is causing her to forget.
If the sensationalism is nonsense, so be it, but we stand proud in the
fact that we are the most sought after newspaper in the country, and
even on the Internet.
For the majority of readers who buy this newspaper, though, Mrs Jagan's
comments represent an indictment on them. They, according to Mrs Jagan,
have a penchant for nonsense.
But what is the ‘‘nonsense'' of which Mrs Jagan speaks? This newspaper
has the record for breaking stories and for bringing to the attention
of the public many of the things that would have remained hidden. It
informed the Police of their shortcomings, and helped in so many ways
that they are eternally grateful to us.
We were the people who informed the nation of the missing AK-47s; of
the death of some of the killers in foreign lands; and of the myriad
problems in every part of the country, while others found these things
to be of no consequence.
Indeed, we were sensational, because that is the nature of some
newspapers, and our sensationalism merely highlighted the sick society
in which we lived. We never professed to be the bearers of good news or
the people who have a vested interest in watering down the truth.
Of course, we have come a long way from those days when our publication
of dead criminals sold this newspaper. We can be compared to any
newspaper in any part of the region because of our news coverage, so
much so that recently, when there was a regional forum in Trinidad and
the organizers professed to be unaware of our existence, there were
people who insisted that we be present. We were represented.
And as the Stabroek News protestations continue, we now note that Mr
David de Caires is now claiming that he has not lost all Government
advertisements. That is certainly a far cry from what the newspaper
stated when it made its first noise over the advertisement issue.
Need highly trained people to administer our forests
We need highly trained people to administer our forests
Tuesday, February 20th 2007
Dear Editor,
I have just read a slew of letters and thought it would be a good thing to respond to those by Mr. Muburak Kazan and Mr Mendes.
First, I can just guess that Mr. Kazan is one of our younger generation who is not aware of the damage done to our society by the leadership and political players since the early 1950s. Yes, the PPP and its underling, the PNC, tore apart our once satisfied nation of people. About the means of exporting timber and the thought of extra security and customs. Does anyone know that not one of the nation's departments is functioning properly?
The Forest Department was the nation's top civil service unit which was responsible for total development.
It had well educated and trained staff to carry out their functions and they were supported with the necessary transportation to get around, especially since part of the work was the nation's intelligence and high security. Yes, it was the only department covering the entire nation and I was happy to travel every square mile from border to border.
I have made inspections of all the divisions in recent years and even spoken to some of the staff and it is pathetic to learn that there is hardly any means of transport.
Each division had a cabin cruiser, a land rover, several inboard launches and outboard boats. Timbers were exported after staffers measured each log as it was loaded onto the ship and royalties were paid. Forestry covered every aspect of this programme and today there is no means for the staff, as untrained as they are, to get around to do the work that is necessary. Does anyone know that all of Guyana is a forest and highly trained people have to carry out the function of developing the nation before any other department?
This department is now considered a commission with a commissioner. I can almost guarantee that not even the commissioner has covered the square mileage that makes up this grand nation let alone knows what we have in resources. How many of the entire staff know as many as 200 of the 2,067 species of saleable timber that we registered up to 1963?
We did a hard but wonderful job of researching our timbers, mineral resources, flora and fauna, planting foreign timbers and reforesting our utilized areas. None of these areas has been covered since independence.
The commissioner may have a degree but how much has he done to learn of the tropical forests and jungles which come under his domain?
Yours faithfully,
George Jackson
StabroekNews
Tuesday, February 20th 2007
Dear Editor,
I have just read a slew of letters and thought it would be a good thing to respond to those by Mr. Muburak Kazan and Mr Mendes.
First, I can just guess that Mr. Kazan is one of our younger generation who is not aware of the damage done to our society by the leadership and political players since the early 1950s. Yes, the PPP and its underling, the PNC, tore apart our once satisfied nation of people. About the means of exporting timber and the thought of extra security and customs. Does anyone know that not one of the nation's departments is functioning properly?
The Forest Department was the nation's top civil service unit which was responsible for total development.
It had well educated and trained staff to carry out their functions and they were supported with the necessary transportation to get around, especially since part of the work was the nation's intelligence and high security. Yes, it was the only department covering the entire nation and I was happy to travel every square mile from border to border.
I have made inspections of all the divisions in recent years and even spoken to some of the staff and it is pathetic to learn that there is hardly any means of transport.
Each division had a cabin cruiser, a land rover, several inboard launches and outboard boats. Timbers were exported after staffers measured each log as it was loaded onto the ship and royalties were paid. Forestry covered every aspect of this programme and today there is no means for the staff, as untrained as they are, to get around to do the work that is necessary. Does anyone know that all of Guyana is a forest and highly trained people have to carry out the function of developing the nation before any other department?
This department is now considered a commission with a commissioner. I can almost guarantee that not even the commissioner has covered the square mileage that makes up this grand nation let alone knows what we have in resources. How many of the entire staff know as many as 200 of the 2,067 species of saleable timber that we registered up to 1963?
We did a hard but wonderful job of researching our timbers, mineral resources, flora and fauna, planting foreign timbers and reforesting our utilized areas. None of these areas has been covered since independence.
The commissioner may have a degree but how much has he done to learn of the tropical forests and jungles which come under his domain?
Yours faithfully,
George Jackson
StabroekNews
Iwokrama
Iwokrama
Tuesday, February 20th 2007
The Iwokrama International Centre had its origins in an offer made in 1989 by then President Desmond Hoyte at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malaysia to donate nearly one million acres of forest in central Guyana to show how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used for ecological, social and economic benefits to local, national and international communities. At a time when environmental issues were of increasing global concern it was recognised as a valuable contribution and was acknowledged as such at more than one international meeting.
Its achievements are well known. As noted in its Business Plan that covers the years 2006-2110, it has acquired an international reputation for research into community inclusive rainforest conservation, has established comprehensive ecosystem inventories of the Iwokrama forest and the Rupununi wetlands, has created a model for commercially sustainable management of tropical forest assets and resources and has developed international academic links including for future research into mitigation of climate change by tropical forests.
Under the dedicated and resourceful chairmanship of former British High Commissioner Edward Glover, the Board of Trustees is trying to move towards self-sufficiency and thus to ensure the development and survival of the centre.
The key objectives of its Business Plan for the next four years are to raise donor funding of up to US$2 million to enable it to maintain a core research programme and the existing infrastructure and to promote business development. At the same time, it seeks to invest in and develop profit-making enterprises in tourism, forestry, training and intellectual property and services.
A local airstrip has been built by the government and the Board hopes this improvement in access will give a major boost to tourism. It is moving to significantly upgrade accommodation and facilities, and projects an increase in tourism of 31% from 2007 to 2010. A new investor/operator is being sought for a joint-venture development to open in 2011.
Iwokrama and the North Rupununi Wetlands have been gaining recognition as a premier eco-tourist destination. Recent visits by representatives of bird-watching organisations have been particularly encouraging though some of them stressed the need for further development of the existing facilities.
An area has been reserved for sustainable forestry and the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed an amount for extraction each year. Phase 1 of an eight-year forestry development strategy is underway in the form of a timber harvesting agreement with Tiger Woods Inc, a newly formed company of which Sir Shridath Ramphal is the chairman.
Finally, the Business Plan embraces the provision of long- and short-term residential courses in protected area management, ranger and tour guide training, the development of global models for sustainable, profit making rainforest enterprises and intellectual property/services which would include payments for eco-system services, bio-sample testing for overseas universities and research organisations and international consultancies in sustainable business management.
Iwokrama has survived so far, largely with grants which are increasingly hard to get. This is a bold and creative effort by the new Board to move towards national self-sufficiency. It is a project of which all Guyanese can be proud and one must hope that the funds can be raised to kick-start the plans and that Mr Glover's bold initiatives will bear fruit.
StabroekNews
Tuesday, February 20th 2007
The Iwokrama International Centre had its origins in an offer made in 1989 by then President Desmond Hoyte at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malaysia to donate nearly one million acres of forest in central Guyana to show how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used for ecological, social and economic benefits to local, national and international communities. At a time when environmental issues were of increasing global concern it was recognised as a valuable contribution and was acknowledged as such at more than one international meeting.
Its achievements are well known. As noted in its Business Plan that covers the years 2006-2110, it has acquired an international reputation for research into community inclusive rainforest conservation, has established comprehensive ecosystem inventories of the Iwokrama forest and the Rupununi wetlands, has created a model for commercially sustainable management of tropical forest assets and resources and has developed international academic links including for future research into mitigation of climate change by tropical forests.
Under the dedicated and resourceful chairmanship of former British High Commissioner Edward Glover, the Board of Trustees is trying to move towards self-sufficiency and thus to ensure the development and survival of the centre.
The key objectives of its Business Plan for the next four years are to raise donor funding of up to US$2 million to enable it to maintain a core research programme and the existing infrastructure and to promote business development. At the same time, it seeks to invest in and develop profit-making enterprises in tourism, forestry, training and intellectual property and services.
A local airstrip has been built by the government and the Board hopes this improvement in access will give a major boost to tourism. It is moving to significantly upgrade accommodation and facilities, and projects an increase in tourism of 31% from 2007 to 2010. A new investor/operator is being sought for a joint-venture development to open in 2011.
Iwokrama and the North Rupununi Wetlands have been gaining recognition as a premier eco-tourist destination. Recent visits by representatives of bird-watching organisations have been particularly encouraging though some of them stressed the need for further development of the existing facilities.
An area has been reserved for sustainable forestry and the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed an amount for extraction each year. Phase 1 of an eight-year forestry development strategy is underway in the form of a timber harvesting agreement with Tiger Woods Inc, a newly formed company of which Sir Shridath Ramphal is the chairman.
Finally, the Business Plan embraces the provision of long- and short-term residential courses in protected area management, ranger and tour guide training, the development of global models for sustainable, profit making rainforest enterprises and intellectual property/services which would include payments for eco-system services, bio-sample testing for overseas universities and research organisations and international consultancies in sustainable business management.
Iwokrama has survived so far, largely with grants which are increasingly hard to get. This is a bold and creative effort by the new Board to move towards national self-sufficiency. It is a project of which all Guyanese can be proud and one must hope that the funds can be raised to kick-start the plans and that Mr Glover's bold initiatives will bear fruit.
StabroekNews
Honouring concessions will lead to increased employment
Honouring concessions will lead to increased employment
Kaieteur News, 20 February 2007
As the export of logs continue to feature in national discussion and debates, closer attention is being focused on investors who receive concessions for value-added activities in the forest.
This notion was voiced recently by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud,who stressed that investors are obligated to honour the conditions of their concessions.
“I am personally concerned about this matter and had cause to call in two such companies, Barama and Jialing ,” the Minister pointed out.
Following a meeting with the senior management of Jialing Forest Industries Inc. last November, the Minister said that the company derived a detailed implementation plan.
Persaud said that the plan outlined a progressive reduction in the percentage of foreign staff from 28.7 per cent in January 2007 to 18 per cent by April 2007; to 15 per cent by August and to 13 per cent by
December.
The company also outlined its commitment to start processing logs locally this year at 50 per cent of monthly production by February; 70 per cent by April; 80 per cent by July and 90 per cent by October.
Assurance was also given to construct a sawmilling and veneering plant at Port Kaituma by December, Persaud noted.
Similarly the senior management of Barama Company Limited submitted an implementation plan for this year regarding the Buck Hall complex, Persaud disclosed.
In that plan the Minister divulged that the company stated that during the period January to March it will install kiln drying facilities; a new pony saw and commence second shift sawmill operations.
Also, the construction of a workshop to start the dry dock activities and sizing of the co-generation plant will commence during this period,Persaud added.
The period April to June is likely to see the construction of the veneering building and the first barge along with the installation of the three megawatt co-generation plant and the finishing plant.
This, according to the Minister, will pave the way for the operation of the sawmill operation to be implemented and the installation and commissioning of the veneer plant, after which construction on the second barge will start.
As such, the expatriates to be employed over the period January to December this year will amount to 57 while local employment would be a minimum of 360, being equivalent to 86.3 per cent of staff, according to Persaud.
This figure will be increased by at least an additional 125 when the second and third shifts at the sawmill and veneer plant become effective, he added.
Kaieteur News, 20 February 2007
As the export of logs continue to feature in national discussion and debates, closer attention is being focused on investors who receive concessions for value-added activities in the forest.
This notion was voiced recently by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud,who stressed that investors are obligated to honour the conditions of their concessions.
“I am personally concerned about this matter and had cause to call in two such companies, Barama and Jialing ,” the Minister pointed out.
Following a meeting with the senior management of Jialing Forest Industries Inc. last November, the Minister said that the company derived a detailed implementation plan.
Persaud said that the plan outlined a progressive reduction in the percentage of foreign staff from 28.7 per cent in January 2007 to 18 per cent by April 2007; to 15 per cent by August and to 13 per cent by
December.
The company also outlined its commitment to start processing logs locally this year at 50 per cent of monthly production by February; 70 per cent by April; 80 per cent by July and 90 per cent by October.
Assurance was also given to construct a sawmilling and veneering plant at Port Kaituma by December, Persaud noted.
Similarly the senior management of Barama Company Limited submitted an implementation plan for this year regarding the Buck Hall complex, Persaud disclosed.
In that plan the Minister divulged that the company stated that during the period January to March it will install kiln drying facilities; a new pony saw and commence second shift sawmill operations.
Also, the construction of a workshop to start the dry dock activities and sizing of the co-generation plant will commence during this period,Persaud added.
The period April to June is likely to see the construction of the veneering building and the first barge along with the installation of the three megawatt co-generation plant and the finishing plant.
This, according to the Minister, will pave the way for the operation of the sawmill operation to be implemented and the installation and commissioning of the veneer plant, after which construction on the second barge will start.
As such, the expatriates to be employed over the period January to December this year will amount to 57 while local employment would be a minimum of 360, being equivalent to 86.3 per cent of staff, according to Persaud.
This figure will be increased by at least an additional 125 when the second and third shifts at the sawmill and veneer plant become effective, he added.
Public consultation on log export policy
Public consultation held on proposed log export policy
Kaieteur News, 18 February 2007
With the aim of maximising and increasing sustainable forest management and added value activities, a public consultation was held, yesterday,by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) at the Regency Suites Hotel in the city.
The consultation was aimed at deriving appropriate recommendations which will foster the forest sector growth and development through the implementation of a National Log Export Policy.
Yesterday's forum followed meetings which were held on November 17,last with the relevant stakeholders, including the Forest Products Association (FPA) and the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA).
According to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, arising out of those meetings, a Ministerial Committee was formulated which comprised one representative from the FPA, the GMA and the GFC, and chaired by the chairman of the GFC Board of Directors.
“The mandate of the committee was to arrive at a consensus paper that would be presented at a national consultation aimed at contributing to the formulation of a log export policy,” Persaud pointed out.
Following meetings held on December 9, 2006 and January 18 last, it was agreed that the GFC's presentation was a suitable document that could be used at the National Consultation Forum, Persaud said.
As such, it was against this background that yesterday's consultation was held, despite the inability to achieve an agreement between all stakeholders.
“…Given the importance of this policy, we needed to involve other stakeholders and concerned parties in contributing to a policy position,” Persaud asserted.
In this regard, Persaud stressed that the deliberations should seek to examine the practices within the forest sector within the context of the national long term objective of enhancing economic, social and ecological benefits through sustainable forest management. In doing so,he emphasised, care should be taken to maintain cognizance of the realities of the sector.
“As practitioners, you would all be too familiar with the challenges of the availability and cost of timber production, transformation and transportation, coupled with the technological ability to produce to specification.”
He further emphasised that the consultation is another demonstration of Government's commitment to develop and promote strategies in partnership with all stakeholders in the sectors.
“We believe that the sustained growth of the forest is hinged on a successful public-private sector partnership, which is already established among forestry stakeholders.”
Reiterating the Minister's notion of partnership, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said that the growth and development of Guyana needs to be focused more on collaboration, alliances, and partnerships within and without Guyana.
“We certainly don't have the markets in Guyana to which we could sell our wood products in this case, and therefore partnerships and alliances with people and countries outside are essential.”
The consensus document, which was discussed at yesterday's forum, detailed ways in which the forestry sector, and ultimately the economy,could benefit if certain measures are implemented.
One of the two options discussed yesterday included the full banning of 15 species of wood by March 1, 2007; the banning of specified dimensions (8x8 and greater) commencing January 2008; and 50 per cent ban of specified species of logs in 2008, a 75 per cent in 2009 and 100 per cent in 2010.
The other option proposed that the March 1 measure be implemented until January 2008.
Those present yesterday were divided into working groups where they were able to discuss and make suggestions on the document proposed.
The session was also graced by several members of the Diplomatic Corps and members of Parliament.
Kaieteur News, 18 February 2007
With the aim of maximising and increasing sustainable forest management and added value activities, a public consultation was held, yesterday,by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) at the Regency Suites Hotel in the city.
The consultation was aimed at deriving appropriate recommendations which will foster the forest sector growth and development through the implementation of a National Log Export Policy.
Yesterday's forum followed meetings which were held on November 17,last with the relevant stakeholders, including the Forest Products Association (FPA) and the Guyana Manufacturers' Association (GMA).
According to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, arising out of those meetings, a Ministerial Committee was formulated which comprised one representative from the FPA, the GMA and the GFC, and chaired by the chairman of the GFC Board of Directors.
“The mandate of the committee was to arrive at a consensus paper that would be presented at a national consultation aimed at contributing to the formulation of a log export policy,” Persaud pointed out.
Following meetings held on December 9, 2006 and January 18 last, it was agreed that the GFC's presentation was a suitable document that could be used at the National Consultation Forum, Persaud said.
As such, it was against this background that yesterday's consultation was held, despite the inability to achieve an agreement between all stakeholders.
“…Given the importance of this policy, we needed to involve other stakeholders and concerned parties in contributing to a policy position,” Persaud asserted.
In this regard, Persaud stressed that the deliberations should seek to examine the practices within the forest sector within the context of the national long term objective of enhancing economic, social and ecological benefits through sustainable forest management. In doing so,he emphasised, care should be taken to maintain cognizance of the realities of the sector.
“As practitioners, you would all be too familiar with the challenges of the availability and cost of timber production, transformation and transportation, coupled with the technological ability to produce to specification.”
He further emphasised that the consultation is another demonstration of Government's commitment to develop and promote strategies in partnership with all stakeholders in the sectors.
“We believe that the sustained growth of the forest is hinged on a successful public-private sector partnership, which is already established among forestry stakeholders.”
Reiterating the Minister's notion of partnership, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said that the growth and development of Guyana needs to be focused more on collaboration, alliances, and partnerships within and without Guyana.
“We certainly don't have the markets in Guyana to which we could sell our wood products in this case, and therefore partnerships and alliances with people and countries outside are essential.”
The consensus document, which was discussed at yesterday's forum, detailed ways in which the forestry sector, and ultimately the economy,could benefit if certain measures are implemented.
One of the two options discussed yesterday included the full banning of 15 species of wood by March 1, 2007; the banning of specified dimensions (8x8 and greater) commencing January 2008; and 50 per cent ban of specified species of logs in 2008, a 75 per cent in 2009 and 100 per cent in 2010.
The other option proposed that the March 1 measure be implemented until January 2008.
Those present yesterday were divided into working groups where they were able to discuss and make suggestions on the document proposed.
The session was also graced by several members of the Diplomatic Corps and members of Parliament.
Chinese New Year
Sunday Chronicle, 18 February 2007
Chinese New Year:
Bound to be another fruitful year
-- Ambassador Zhang Jungao
New Year message from Mr. Zhang Jungao, Ambassador of the People’s
Republic of China to the Republic of Guyana
TIME flies. The Chinese New Year is almost upon us again.
New Year is a time for universal joy and good wishes. In China, people
will rush back home for family reunion no matter where they are.
Friends and neighbours will exchange good wishes for the coming year
whenever they meet.
Here, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to
all Chinese in Guyana for a happy Spring Festival and a prosperous New
Year. I would like to extend my best wishes to Guyana for a rapid
economic development and substantial improvement of people’s living
standards in the coming year.
It is also a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new
year. It is a time for many to take stock of the past year and make
plans for the new year.
Last year saw the continued development of friendly relations and the
further deepening of the economic cooperation between China and Guyana.
The Guyana International Conference Centre will be completed and handed
over to the Guyanese Government. The seventh batch of medical personnel
has arrived and started their service.
The Skeldon Sugar Factory Modernisation Project began construction and
is now in a full-fledged period. Last year also saw a breakthrough of
cooperation between the private sectors of both countries in promoting
the economic development in Guyana spearheaded by Bosai and Bai Shan
Lin. Last year was a fruitful year in the history of the friendly
relations between China and Guyana.
The new year will be the 35th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between our two countries. It is an auspicious
moment to further strengthen our cordial relations and translate it
into broader cooperation. We will host a big celebration to mark the
35th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations. We
will promote the high level friendly visits and broaden the exchanges
between our two peoples. We will further strengthen the cooperation and
coordination in international affairs between our two governments.
We will witness the completion of construction of the Skeldon Sugar
Factory. We will also welcome the arrival of the first Chinese
volunteers and geologists. The new year is bound to be another fruitful
year.
Finally, let us join together in wishing the flower of Sino-Guyana
friendship full blossom in the new year.
Chronicle
Chinese New Year:
Bound to be another fruitful year
-- Ambassador Zhang Jungao
New Year message from Mr. Zhang Jungao, Ambassador of the People’s
Republic of China to the Republic of Guyana
TIME flies. The Chinese New Year is almost upon us again.
New Year is a time for universal joy and good wishes. In China, people
will rush back home for family reunion no matter where they are.
Friends and neighbours will exchange good wishes for the coming year
whenever they meet.
Here, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes to
all Chinese in Guyana for a happy Spring Festival and a prosperous New
Year. I would like to extend my best wishes to Guyana for a rapid
economic development and substantial improvement of people’s living
standards in the coming year.
It is also a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new
year. It is a time for many to take stock of the past year and make
plans for the new year.
Last year saw the continued development of friendly relations and the
further deepening of the economic cooperation between China and Guyana.
The Guyana International Conference Centre will be completed and handed
over to the Guyanese Government. The seventh batch of medical personnel
has arrived and started their service.
The Skeldon Sugar Factory Modernisation Project began construction and
is now in a full-fledged period. Last year also saw a breakthrough of
cooperation between the private sectors of both countries in promoting
the economic development in Guyana spearheaded by Bosai and Bai Shan
Lin. Last year was a fruitful year in the history of the friendly
relations between China and Guyana.
The new year will be the 35th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between our two countries. It is an auspicious
moment to further strengthen our cordial relations and translate it
into broader cooperation. We will host a big celebration to mark the
35th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations. We
will promote the high level friendly visits and broaden the exchanges
between our two peoples. We will further strengthen the cooperation and
coordination in international affairs between our two governments.
We will witness the completion of construction of the Skeldon Sugar
Factory. We will also welcome the arrival of the first Chinese
volunteers and geologists. The new year is bound to be another fruitful
year.
Finally, let us join together in wishing the flower of Sino-Guyana
friendship full blossom in the new year.
Chronicle
Monday, February 19, 2007
The many problems of Kwakani
The authorities are not dealing with the many problems at Kwakwani
Monday, February 19th 2007
Dear Editor,
The residents of Kwawani need to start questioning their leaders about decisions and representations they are making on their behalf.
The situation in our community of just about 5000 residents is getting from bad to worse and there seems to be no solution to reverse the decline. Someone needs to say enough is enough and get the little czars to work together for the overall benefit of the community.
There are some of us who are able and willing to work with what and who is available to bring about a positive change but the czars will not allow us. They prefer to hold steadfast to their throne and watch the kingdom fall
There are groups/organization established to work towards improving conditions for residents but something is just not adding up. There seems not to be a solution for the most basic problems that pop up. .
We have teachers who are in our community to teach our children living in a hostel with water barely running and only one out of four toilets working. How can this be happening when in days gone by the leaders were able to build a hostel by self-help and a Secondary School by paying a dollar a week. How can our leaders, the PTA's and the region allow this problem to remain for over one year?
We have two swimming pools not functioning for over fifteen years and would chase experts when they try to do an assessment to rehabilitate them, because they did not speak to one of the czars.
The Bauxite Company is giving to the Community $100.000 per month to assist with development. This fund is channeled through a group controlled by one of the czars but after 10 months, not a coin can be spent on any project.
The Forestry Commission is collecting a minimum of $35,000.00 per month from the Forestry Group to be used for Community Projects, but other than erection of a canopy for the Kwakwani Primary School, nothing else is there to show. The idea of injecting funds to communities by way of commission got its genesis in Kwakwani but I am sure all of the other communities can show the progress they are making from this fund.
Since 2002 President Jagdeo promised funding to rebuild a recreational facility if the community can only agree on a single plan, five years after we still cannot agree on a plan. We can take a lesson from Christianburg in Linden which had similar problems with a recreation facility because Kwakwani needed a proper NDC office, a building to house the Pre- School and Day Care, a proper hall for indoor Games and Conferences, change rooms for teams and a pavilion for cricket and football. All of the foregoing are needed by this Community and can be housed under one roof.
Funding can be acquired through the President's Youth Choice Initiative, the Ministry of Local Government, the Forestry Commission and the Bauxite Company.
The big question is will the czars allow this.
It will grieve the soul of the former leaders of this once beautiful park to see the state of the community and what passes for leadership.
All is not lost yet, the residents must start demanding that the czars give an account of their stewardship.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
StabroekNews
Monday, February 19th 2007
Dear Editor,
The residents of Kwawani need to start questioning their leaders about decisions and representations they are making on their behalf.
The situation in our community of just about 5000 residents is getting from bad to worse and there seems to be no solution to reverse the decline. Someone needs to say enough is enough and get the little czars to work together for the overall benefit of the community.
There are some of us who are able and willing to work with what and who is available to bring about a positive change but the czars will not allow us. They prefer to hold steadfast to their throne and watch the kingdom fall
There are groups/organization established to work towards improving conditions for residents but something is just not adding up. There seems not to be a solution for the most basic problems that pop up. .
We have teachers who are in our community to teach our children living in a hostel with water barely running and only one out of four toilets working. How can this be happening when in days gone by the leaders were able to build a hostel by self-help and a Secondary School by paying a dollar a week. How can our leaders, the PTA's and the region allow this problem to remain for over one year?
We have two swimming pools not functioning for over fifteen years and would chase experts when they try to do an assessment to rehabilitate them, because they did not speak to one of the czars.
The Bauxite Company is giving to the Community $100.000 per month to assist with development. This fund is channeled through a group controlled by one of the czars but after 10 months, not a coin can be spent on any project.
The Forestry Commission is collecting a minimum of $35,000.00 per month from the Forestry Group to be used for Community Projects, but other than erection of a canopy for the Kwakwani Primary School, nothing else is there to show. The idea of injecting funds to communities by way of commission got its genesis in Kwakwani but I am sure all of the other communities can show the progress they are making from this fund.
Since 2002 President Jagdeo promised funding to rebuild a recreational facility if the community can only agree on a single plan, five years after we still cannot agree on a plan. We can take a lesson from Christianburg in Linden which had similar problems with a recreation facility because Kwakwani needed a proper NDC office, a building to house the Pre- School and Day Care, a proper hall for indoor Games and Conferences, change rooms for teams and a pavilion for cricket and football. All of the foregoing are needed by this Community and can be housed under one roof.
Funding can be acquired through the President's Youth Choice Initiative, the Ministry of Local Government, the Forestry Commission and the Bauxite Company.
The big question is will the czars allow this.
It will grieve the soul of the former leaders of this once beautiful park to see the state of the community and what passes for leadership.
All is not lost yet, the residents must start demanding that the czars give an account of their stewardship.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
StabroekNews
The authorities are not dealing with the many problems at Kwakwani
Options tabled to ban log exports
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle, 18 February 2007
GUYANA’S policy with respect to the export of logs, which has recently become contentious, is expected to be defined shortly following a public consultation yesterday with officials and other stakeholders in the forestry industry.
At the session at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Commissioner of Forests, Mr. James Singh presented a comprehensive paper for discussion which provided information on the state of the local forestry sector versus the international situation.
He pointed out that several countries have either severely restricted the export of logs or have entirely banned exports, and said that from the consultative process established through a ministerial committee, options for Guyana have been put forward for discussions and eventual
adoption and formulation of an export policy with respect to logs.
According to Singh, option one proposes a ban of 15 species of logs from March 1, 2007, while option two proposes that a ban of exports be imposed from January 2008.
The advantage of option one, the Commissioner said, is that it will help boost value-added production during this year, while the disadvantage is that it provides for a limited time for transition by forest producers.
In relation to option two, Singh said the advantage is that it caters for a transition period of at least eight months, but the disadvantage is that the trend of log export may continue during this year, especially for the prime species.
Over all, he noted that had a ban/restriction on the export of logs been implemented, it would have had a positive impact on export revenue, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the forestry sector, value-added forest production, creation of more job opportunities and an additional US$9M earned in export earnings, if the logs exported in 2006 had been converted into lumber.
In addition, the Commissioner revealed that the total log production in 2006 was 380,000 cubic metres which represents only 55% of local milling capacity.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who delivered a presentation at the forum, said the way forward within the forestry sector is through forging collaboration, alliances and partnerships among stakeholders.
He noted too that external alliances have to be sought to push exports of forestry products because Guyana has a small market.
Mr. Hinds cautioned that the quarrels among stakeholders cause them to lose sight of the changes taking place in the marketplace, and one challenge they face is bringing down the cost of production to be able to compete with other countries.
A dilemma faced in light of a ban/restriction of logs is whether the local downstream processing capacity could grow fast enough to accommodate this situation, and if this growth does not happen then it could trigger problems for the sector, he said.
As such, he urged local producers to move in the direction of specialisation, and suggested that the Forest Products Marketing Council (FPMC) could be a mediator in the problems involving the stakeholders in the forestry sector.
Rebutting the contention by some that the exports of forestry products grew last year due to the increased exportation of logs, the Prime Minister said while the exports increased by 11% in volume, in terms of value it rose by 42%. He argued that therefore means that this increase
could not have come from export of logs alone.
Agriculture Minister, Mr. Robert Persaud voiced concerns about investors being granted concessions for value-added production as he had cause to call in two such companies - Barama and Jaling.
However, he said following meetings with the senior management of these companies, he has since been presented with implementation plans by them.
With respect to Jaling, the minister said the company assured that processing of logs would progressively increase to 90% by this year, while a commitment has been made to construct a sawmilling and veneering plant at Port Kaituma by the end of this year.
In addition, there will be a progressive decrease of foreign staff from 28.7% to 185 by April of this year and by the end of this year this figure should reach 13%, he said.
Persaud reported that Barama plans to install kiln drying facilities, a new pony saw and construct a workshop to start the dry dock activities and a co-generation plant by the end of next month.
By June of this year, the company expects to start the construction of a veneering building, its first barge and installation of a three-megawatt co-generation plant and installation of a finishing plant, while by September this year the third shift sawmill operation should be implemented, the installation of and commissioning of the veneer plant completed and the construction of the third barge started, the minister said.
With respect to the ratio of foreign and local employees, Persaud said by the end of this year the number of expatriates should be 57 while locals should reach a minimum of 360.
He added that monitoring of the implementation of these plans has already begun by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
“In our deliberations today, we need to examine the practice within the context of our long term objective of enhancing economic, social and ecological benefits through sustainable forest management, while at the same time being cognisant of the realities of the sector. As
practitioners, you would be all too familiar with the challenges of the availability and cost of timber production, transformation and transportation coupled with the technological ability to produce to specification,” Persaud declared.
He added: “Clearly, there is a need to articulate a policy position based on sustaining growth while at the same time arriving at a consensus position on short, medium and long term actions to expand the benefits that stream from forest industries.”
President of the Forest Products Association (FPA), Mr. David Persaud, alluding to the potential of the forestry sector to contribute to the national economy, said that for last year, earnings from export of forestry products surpassed those of rice, and it was something that the forestry industry was working on for some time.
He also appealed for greater financial incentives for retooling and modernisation of the local forestry sector to make it more competitive.
President of the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GMSA), Mr. George Robinson said that because of concerns about the inadequacy of raw materials for those involved in the manufacturing sector, along with some other irritants, his association wrote President Bharrat
Jagdeo to meet him.
While they were not successful in having a forum with him they are grateful to having such a forum to have their concerns dealt with, he said.
Chairman of the GFC Board, Mr. Tarachand Balgobin stressed that the aim with respect to the forestry industry is not to only increase its contribution to the GDP but also to increase employment opportunities, production and productivity and enhance the welfare of people.
He said that to heighten the efficiency of the forestry sector, new forestry legislation and revenue structure are imminent.
Link
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle, 18 February 2007
GUYANA’S policy with respect to the export of logs, which has recently become contentious, is expected to be defined shortly following a public consultation yesterday with officials and other stakeholders in the forestry industry.
At the session at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Commissioner of Forests, Mr. James Singh presented a comprehensive paper for discussion which provided information on the state of the local forestry sector versus the international situation.
He pointed out that several countries have either severely restricted the export of logs or have entirely banned exports, and said that from the consultative process established through a ministerial committee, options for Guyana have been put forward for discussions and eventual
adoption and formulation of an export policy with respect to logs.
According to Singh, option one proposes a ban of 15 species of logs from March 1, 2007, while option two proposes that a ban of exports be imposed from January 2008.
The advantage of option one, the Commissioner said, is that it will help boost value-added production during this year, while the disadvantage is that it provides for a limited time for transition by forest producers.
In relation to option two, Singh said the advantage is that it caters for a transition period of at least eight months, but the disadvantage is that the trend of log export may continue during this year, especially for the prime species.
Over all, he noted that had a ban/restriction on the export of logs been implemented, it would have had a positive impact on export revenue, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the forestry sector, value-added forest production, creation of more job opportunities and an additional US$9M earned in export earnings, if the logs exported in 2006 had been converted into lumber.
In addition, the Commissioner revealed that the total log production in 2006 was 380,000 cubic metres which represents only 55% of local milling capacity.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who delivered a presentation at the forum, said the way forward within the forestry sector is through forging collaboration, alliances and partnerships among stakeholders.
He noted too that external alliances have to be sought to push exports of forestry products because Guyana has a small market.
Mr. Hinds cautioned that the quarrels among stakeholders cause them to lose sight of the changes taking place in the marketplace, and one challenge they face is bringing down the cost of production to be able to compete with other countries.
A dilemma faced in light of a ban/restriction of logs is whether the local downstream processing capacity could grow fast enough to accommodate this situation, and if this growth does not happen then it could trigger problems for the sector, he said.
As such, he urged local producers to move in the direction of specialisation, and suggested that the Forest Products Marketing Council (FPMC) could be a mediator in the problems involving the stakeholders in the forestry sector.
Rebutting the contention by some that the exports of forestry products grew last year due to the increased exportation of logs, the Prime Minister said while the exports increased by 11% in volume, in terms of value it rose by 42%. He argued that therefore means that this increase
could not have come from export of logs alone.
Agriculture Minister, Mr. Robert Persaud voiced concerns about investors being granted concessions for value-added production as he had cause to call in two such companies - Barama and Jaling.
However, he said following meetings with the senior management of these companies, he has since been presented with implementation plans by them.
With respect to Jaling, the minister said the company assured that processing of logs would progressively increase to 90% by this year, while a commitment has been made to construct a sawmilling and veneering plant at Port Kaituma by the end of this year.
In addition, there will be a progressive decrease of foreign staff from 28.7% to 185 by April of this year and by the end of this year this figure should reach 13%, he said.
Persaud reported that Barama plans to install kiln drying facilities, a new pony saw and construct a workshop to start the dry dock activities and a co-generation plant by the end of next month.
By June of this year, the company expects to start the construction of a veneering building, its first barge and installation of a three-megawatt co-generation plant and installation of a finishing plant, while by September this year the third shift sawmill operation should be implemented, the installation of and commissioning of the veneer plant completed and the construction of the third barge started, the minister said.
With respect to the ratio of foreign and local employees, Persaud said by the end of this year the number of expatriates should be 57 while locals should reach a minimum of 360.
He added that monitoring of the implementation of these plans has already begun by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).
“In our deliberations today, we need to examine the practice within the context of our long term objective of enhancing economic, social and ecological benefits through sustainable forest management, while at the same time being cognisant of the realities of the sector. As
practitioners, you would be all too familiar with the challenges of the availability and cost of timber production, transformation and transportation coupled with the technological ability to produce to specification,” Persaud declared.
He added: “Clearly, there is a need to articulate a policy position based on sustaining growth while at the same time arriving at a consensus position on short, medium and long term actions to expand the benefits that stream from forest industries.”
President of the Forest Products Association (FPA), Mr. David Persaud, alluding to the potential of the forestry sector to contribute to the national economy, said that for last year, earnings from export of forestry products surpassed those of rice, and it was something that the forestry industry was working on for some time.
He also appealed for greater financial incentives for retooling and modernisation of the local forestry sector to make it more competitive.
President of the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GMSA), Mr. George Robinson said that because of concerns about the inadequacy of raw materials for those involved in the manufacturing sector, along with some other irritants, his association wrote President Bharrat
Jagdeo to meet him.
While they were not successful in having a forum with him they are grateful to having such a forum to have their concerns dealt with, he said.
Chairman of the GFC Board, Mr. Tarachand Balgobin stressed that the aim with respect to the forestry industry is not to only increase its contribution to the GDP but also to increase employment opportunities, production and productivity and enhance the welfare of people.
He said that to heighten the efficiency of the forestry sector, new forestry legislation and revenue structure are imminent.
Link
Mrs Jagan's views dismissed direspectfully
Mrs Jagan's views should not be dismissed so disrespectfully
Sunday, February 18th 2007
Dear Editor,
In 1985 when the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte took control of Guyana, there was a massive turn around of everything that was inherited from the "Founder Leader", President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
Almost every policy President Burnham had implemented, the Hon. President Hoyte reversed. The daylight saving time was removed. How can this ever have worked with Guyana lying on the equator? He re-introduced wheat flour; freed up the economy; allowed foreign currency to flow freely, legally; stabilized the dollar at 125 to 1 US for the last two years in office; legalized banned food stuff and privatized ailing government entities. The list is longer.
In 1992 when the Hon. Dr. Cheddi Jagan acceded to the Presidency, his campaign promise was consultation, transparency, accountability, and all the right words that are associated with a true democracy. This great honourable man that once lived and walked among us, had made us realize dreams others can only dream of. But today it all seems to be coming to a slow end.
Taken from Stabroek News, dated Jan. 4th, 2007, "Commissioner of Forests James Singh is maintaining that a shipment of logs which left Guyana in December on the vessel 'Rong Cheng' met all of the regulatory body's requirements for export and that the body is not under any obligation to provide requested details". Is this what Dr. J would have told his people when they make a query on something as important as this? Is this the reverse from transparency?
The article went on to state the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) stated no Customs or GFC official has to be present every minute of the loading. Are these people serious? Logs were filled with illegal drugs a short while ago and exported.
Also, where do the officials go when they are not around "every minute". We can see from this incident why things are not done correctly. Accountability is truly lacking. This behaviour should not be condoned and accepted as normal behaviour.
Our current parliamentarians met with local organizations that are concerned with legalizing casino gambling. It was shocking to note some of them telling our religious organizations they have no business in government affairs. Even before the religious organizations can speak on these issues, they were told in no uncertain manner, no matter what they oppose, the bill will be going through.
Is this not a mockery of our consultation process?
First Lady, first female minister of Guyana, first female president of Guyana, and the first American woman to become president, the Hon. President Janet Jagan gave her honest opinion implying she would prefer the Government not to blacklist Stabroek News or any other newspaper on the ads issue. Herself and husband lived through hard times when they were denied newsprint for The Mirror newspaper and can relive the terrible memories of yesteryear.
She was told in a manner that sounded disrespectful that her comments were just those of a private citizen. Private citizen? This is no ordinary private citizen. This stalwart of an individual laid her life on the line so that our nation can enjoy freedom that seems to be frizzling before our eyes. Her words have lots of weight and meaning, and yes, if she implies Stabroek News should not be penalized for having a smaller readership, then maybe it is something that should be considered.
Again Dr. J always looked out for the small man. He said a small man should become a real man. I have my doubts whether he would have agreed with this happening. I cannot fathom him coming up with plans to stifle small businesses.
Some people like myself and others did suggest an audit be taken of the readers circulation, and it be rated percentage wise. But a newspaper should not suffer because its circulation does not reach heaven.
President Janet Jagan deserves much more than for others to be dismissing her comments as casual conversation. Are we heading for a U turn with no return? I would hope not. Too much is at stake.
Yours faithfully,
Mubarak Kazan
StabroekNews
Sunday, February 18th 2007
Dear Editor,
In 1985 when the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte took control of Guyana, there was a massive turn around of everything that was inherited from the "Founder Leader", President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
Almost every policy President Burnham had implemented, the Hon. President Hoyte reversed. The daylight saving time was removed. How can this ever have worked with Guyana lying on the equator? He re-introduced wheat flour; freed up the economy; allowed foreign currency to flow freely, legally; stabilized the dollar at 125 to 1 US for the last two years in office; legalized banned food stuff and privatized ailing government entities. The list is longer.
In 1992 when the Hon. Dr. Cheddi Jagan acceded to the Presidency, his campaign promise was consultation, transparency, accountability, and all the right words that are associated with a true democracy. This great honourable man that once lived and walked among us, had made us realize dreams others can only dream of. But today it all seems to be coming to a slow end.
Taken from Stabroek News, dated Jan. 4th, 2007, "Commissioner of Forests James Singh is maintaining that a shipment of logs which left Guyana in December on the vessel 'Rong Cheng' met all of the regulatory body's requirements for export and that the body is not under any obligation to provide requested details". Is this what Dr. J would have told his people when they make a query on something as important as this? Is this the reverse from transparency?
The article went on to state the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) stated no Customs or GFC official has to be present every minute of the loading. Are these people serious? Logs were filled with illegal drugs a short while ago and exported.
Also, where do the officials go when they are not around "every minute". We can see from this incident why things are not done correctly. Accountability is truly lacking. This behaviour should not be condoned and accepted as normal behaviour.
Our current parliamentarians met with local organizations that are concerned with legalizing casino gambling. It was shocking to note some of them telling our religious organizations they have no business in government affairs. Even before the religious organizations can speak on these issues, they were told in no uncertain manner, no matter what they oppose, the bill will be going through.
Is this not a mockery of our consultation process?
First Lady, first female minister of Guyana, first female president of Guyana, and the first American woman to become president, the Hon. President Janet Jagan gave her honest opinion implying she would prefer the Government not to blacklist Stabroek News or any other newspaper on the ads issue. Herself and husband lived through hard times when they were denied newsprint for The Mirror newspaper and can relive the terrible memories of yesteryear.
She was told in a manner that sounded disrespectful that her comments were just those of a private citizen. Private citizen? This is no ordinary private citizen. This stalwart of an individual laid her life on the line so that our nation can enjoy freedom that seems to be frizzling before our eyes. Her words have lots of weight and meaning, and yes, if she implies Stabroek News should not be penalized for having a smaller readership, then maybe it is something that should be considered.
Again Dr. J always looked out for the small man. He said a small man should become a real man. I have my doubts whether he would have agreed with this happening. I cannot fathom him coming up with plans to stifle small businesses.
Some people like myself and others did suggest an audit be taken of the readers circulation, and it be rated percentage wise. But a newspaper should not suffer because its circulation does not reach heaven.
President Janet Jagan deserves much more than for others to be dismissing her comments as casual conversation. Are we heading for a U turn with no return? I would hope not. Too much is at stake.
Yours faithfully,
Mubarak Kazan
StabroekNews
Global Timber Website modified
GuyanaGuyana, one of the most corrupt countries in Latin America, is noted especially for links to the illegal drug trade. Guyana has a particuIar reputation for money laundering and, given that trade in timber accounts for most Guyana's official export earnings, it is likely that at least some of that trade is associated with money laundering.
The unit prices cited in the ITTO's fortnightly "Tropical Timber Market Report" indicate that the difference between the unit prices for Guyana's log exports are remarkably small relative to unit prices for equivalent products exported from other producer countries. The difference might well be attributable to transfer pricing fraud. Given that, during 2005, logs account for almost all India's (and half of China's) timber imports from Guyana, and that India and China (primarily India) account for more than half of Guyana's log exports, India and China may well be complicit in such fraud. The loss of export revenue attributable to transfer pricing fraud might amount to US$ 10mi during 2005. That amount represents some 2% of Guyana's export revenue (of US$ 500 million, roughly half of which was then attributable to gold, diamonds and sugar, and a further 10% to timber).
One might expect that such a large percentage in lost revenue would prompt donors to at least claim to be applying effective pressure on the government of Guyana to substantially reduce those losses.
Logs, sawn wood, and plywood accounted for approximately 40%, 30%, and 20% of the RWE volume of Guyana's timber exports during 2005.
The lower of the two charts above, which covers only some of Guyana's timber exports, indicates the extent to which China's imports of logs have surged during 2006 - giving rise to much of the current concern about transfer pricing and illegality. It also demonstrates that some of Barama's efforts to gain FSC certification might have been motivated by a desire to increase sales to the USA - Barama's exports to the USA having halved during the first five years of this decade.
During early 2006, Guyana's largest timber enterprise, Barama, received an FSC certificate pertaining to the management of 570,000ha (i.e. less than one third of the area) of its forest concessions. This FSC certificate was withdrawn later in 2006 after it became apparent that Barama had failed to comply with improvements required to maintain that certificate. This tends to confirm Barama's illrepute - which includes alleged economic crime (concerning transfer pricing fraud and the granting of the very lage area of its forest concessions and its generous tax treatment), failure to respect the rights of workers and indigenous people, and procuring wood from dubious sources. Barama - owned jointly by Samling (a controversial subsidiary of Lingui Developments from Sarawak) and Sunkyong (a major conglomerate from Korea) - is in effect the sole producer of plywood in Guyana.
Most of its key workers and labourers are ethnic chinese - some of whom are said be indentured to gangs from China (to repay debts or to emigrate from China) - fuelling resentment within Guyana. FSC certification would greatly help overcome these negative perceptions - which depress the price of the plywood (and other timber products) which importers procure via Barama.
The ten days of focus by the international media during the six World Cup cricket matches to be played in Guyana during March/April 2007 would offer an excellent platform for Barama to announce that it would make sincere efforts to FSC-certify its forest concessions.
India's role as a destination for Guyana's illegal exports of logs will be particularly poignant on 7th April - when India plays its World Cup cricket match in Guyana.
Guyana's second largest timber company, Demerara Timbers, is said to be owned the Prime Group of Singapore - which might be a shell company and which is related to owners of the notorious Rimbunan Hiijau.
http://www.globaltimber.org.uk/guyana.htm
The unit prices cited in the ITTO's fortnightly "Tropical Timber Market Report" indicate that the difference between the unit prices for Guyana's log exports are remarkably small relative to unit prices for equivalent products exported from other producer countries. The difference might well be attributable to transfer pricing fraud. Given that, during 2005, logs account for almost all India's (and half of China's) timber imports from Guyana, and that India and China (primarily India) account for more than half of Guyana's log exports, India and China may well be complicit in such fraud. The loss of export revenue attributable to transfer pricing fraud might amount to US$ 10mi during 2005. That amount represents some 2% of Guyana's export revenue (of US$ 500 million, roughly half of which was then attributable to gold, diamonds and sugar, and a further 10% to timber).
One might expect that such a large percentage in lost revenue would prompt donors to at least claim to be applying effective pressure on the government of Guyana to substantially reduce those losses.
Logs, sawn wood, and plywood accounted for approximately 40%, 30%, and 20% of the RWE volume of Guyana's timber exports during 2005.
The lower of the two charts above, which covers only some of Guyana's timber exports, indicates the extent to which China's imports of logs have surged during 2006 - giving rise to much of the current concern about transfer pricing and illegality. It also demonstrates that some of Barama's efforts to gain FSC certification might have been motivated by a desire to increase sales to the USA - Barama's exports to the USA having halved during the first five years of this decade.
During early 2006, Guyana's largest timber enterprise, Barama, received an FSC certificate pertaining to the management of 570,000ha (i.e. less than one third of the area) of its forest concessions. This FSC certificate was withdrawn later in 2006 after it became apparent that Barama had failed to comply with improvements required to maintain that certificate. This tends to confirm Barama's illrepute - which includes alleged economic crime (concerning transfer pricing fraud and the granting of the very lage area of its forest concessions and its generous tax treatment), failure to respect the rights of workers and indigenous people, and procuring wood from dubious sources. Barama - owned jointly by Samling (a controversial subsidiary of Lingui Developments from Sarawak) and Sunkyong (a major conglomerate from Korea) - is in effect the sole producer of plywood in Guyana.
Most of its key workers and labourers are ethnic chinese - some of whom are said be indentured to gangs from China (to repay debts or to emigrate from China) - fuelling resentment within Guyana. FSC certification would greatly help overcome these negative perceptions - which depress the price of the plywood (and other timber products) which importers procure via Barama.
The ten days of focus by the international media during the six World Cup cricket matches to be played in Guyana during March/April 2007 would offer an excellent platform for Barama to announce that it would make sincere efforts to FSC-certify its forest concessions.
India's role as a destination for Guyana's illegal exports of logs will be particularly poignant on 7th April - when India plays its World Cup cricket match in Guyana.
Guyana's second largest timber company, Demerara Timbers, is said to be owned the Prime Group of Singapore - which might be a shell company and which is related to owners of the notorious Rimbunan Hiijau.
http://www.globaltimber.org.uk/guyana.htm
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Uncontrolled logging leaves bald and bare patches.
Guyana and the wider world Part 3
Guyana and the wider worldGuyana's Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme (PRSP) and the forestry sector (Part 3)
By Janette Bulkan
Sunday Stabroek
February 18th 2007
This week's column resumes the discussion of employment in the forestry
sector against the fourth cause singled out by Guyana's Poverty
Reduc-tion Strategy Programme (PRSP) as responsible for persistent
poverty: "deterioration in the quantum and quality of social services"
(PRSP 2001, p. 7). Here I look especially at employment of Guyanese in
foreign-owned forest sector enterprises. This analysis is undertaken in
the context of the question: Why is there persistent poverty in the
interior alongside the parcelling out of Guyana's best endowed forests
in large-scale forestry concessions?
The official statistics on employment in the forestry sector are out of
date and/or not disaggregated. The 1997/1998 Labour Force Survey lists
50,737 persons (Males 41,982; Females 8,755) as employed in
'Agro-Forestry,' which in that survey denotes 'agriculture' and
'forestry' as separate activities. The 2002/2003 census lists a total
of 3,746 persons employed in 'Forestry, Logging and Related Services,'
and 42,069 in 'Agriculture, Hunting and Related Services.' These
official surveys suggest that full-time employment in the sector is
low, which is not surprising given the low rates of pay, lack of
contracts, job security, training opportunities and poor working
conditions outlined in last week's column.
A common theme in the diaspora is the exploitation, poor remuneration
and disrespect shown to Guyanese who lack 'papers' (legal
documentation), recognized skills certification, work experience
abroad, or union or other representation. Forty years after
Independence, Guyanese workers in the forestry sector suffer the same
fate: as disrespected at home as are undocumented Guyanese abroad.
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) estimates that the forestry sector
provides employment to about 15,000 persons, the majority in the
small-scale sector. The small-scale forestry sector, allocated only
one-fifth of the commercial forests, (and the most worked-over and
worked-out forests) provides 75 per cent of forestry sector employment
according to a Guyana Forestry Commission study in 2003.
At the time of negotiating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) concessions,
foreign-owned companies had emphasised the employment which they would
bring in, but they have generated little sustainably in the way of
employment or sustainable development at the local level. The quotas of
expatriate workers are part of the FDI arrangements negotiated by
Cabinet, and are not covered by the Forests Act or Forest Regulations.
The Commis-sioner of Forests has said that the JaLing Company will be
allowed to exceed its foreign worker quota of 20 per cent for 3-4 years
because there were no local skills (Press conference with Minister for
Forestry Robert Persaud, December 8, 2006). This position signifies
official disregard of a contractual agreement, which itself is much
weaker than OECD guidelines for multi-national enterprises recommend
(see later).
In 2005, the biggest concession holder, with legal control of 26 per
cent of State Production Forests, stated that its workforce totalled
1,100 workers (expatriate and Guyanese) in its logging (400 workers),
milling (100 workers) and plywood factory (550 workers) operations
(Sukhraj 2005). The downsizing of that company's plywood production can
be tracked in the quartering of its workforce in a decade - from 1,900
in 1995 to 1,750 in 1996, to 1,000 in 1997 and 550 in 2005. At the same
time, Barama's expatriate workforce is deployed across its
sub-contracted concessions and in the Amerindian village lands of
Akawini and St Monica, being logged through a 'harvesting contract'
with another company named IWPI. Such arrangements were not mentioned
in the original 1991 FDI agreement and probably not in the still-secret
2001 extended FDI agreement.
The Barama Company seems to be keeping to the overall limit of 15 per
cent expatriate workforce by counting its unskilled local workers at
the processing sites at Land of Canaan and Buck Hall. Foreign-recruited
workers are sent with interpreters for technical training by the Guyana
Forestry Training Centre (FTC), in effect reverse capacity building.
And in spite of the exemptions from all taxes and duties, including
import duties on fuel, the SGS Qualifor's Public Summary quoted a
CARICAD study that, "… a comparison of Barama Company wages and
salary structure rates with their competitors… indicates that BCL can
do more to improve their competitiveness for human resources" (SGS
Qualifor Public Summary 2006:30). Like most locally-owned forest sector
businesses, foreign-owned companies rarely advertise job vacancies.
Selection of administrative staff may be influenced by factors other
than straight efficiency and competence.
Guyanese employers in the forestry sector have not performed well
against labour standards. The proven charges, including of non-payment
of salaries and of failure to pass on NIS deductions, levelled against
Guyanese forestry companies by victimized workers are legion. The
recent declared intent by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs to take
firm action against companies and individuals found guilty of these
practices (SN, February 7, 2007) begs the question of why the terms and
conditions of employment set out in 10.2.3 of the GFC Code of Practice
for Timber Harvesting (2nd edition) are not widely implemented.
Recommendations
1. Excellent relevant models, including FAO and ILO guides, exist for
safe forest working practices. These should be used to enhance the
GFC's Code of Practice for Timber Harvesting (second edition, November
2003). All holders of forest harvesting concessions should be obliged
to work according to a revised version of this code, brought up to date
against the conventions of the Inter-national Labour Organization
(ILO); at present the GFC code is voluntary for older Timber Sales
Agreements (TSAs) and Wood Cutting Licences (WCLs).
2. The GFC should facilitate and support logistically both random spot
checks and scheduled inspections and monitoring visits by the Ministry
of Labour's Oc-cupational Safety and Health staff to manufacturing
plants which process forest products as well as to logging areas.
3. Forest Regulations (1953 as amended) include provisions for camp
conditions and regulations: first aid equipment and sicknurse/community
health worker (Article 37), food rations (Article 38). These
regulations could be used to improve conditions for forest workers.
4. The FDI arrangements negotiated by Cabinet for Barama and JaLing
allow 15 and 20 per cent foreign workers, respectively, with no
provision for a reduction in the percentage of foreigners over time.
Consequently, although Barama has been in operation in Guyana for 15
years, it is still claiming that 15 per cent. This, indeed all FDI
arrangements, should be revised to meet OECD guidelines on
multinational enterprises, and published to conform to the provision
for open government under Article 13 of the National Constitution 1980.
The revision of FDIs should require -
(a) written descriptions for all jobs;
(b) restriction of foreign employees to jobs proven to have no
qualified Guyanese applicants (tested by a competitive application
process);
(c) open advertisement in national press and local news posts (such as
Village Council offices, schools and church buildings) for all jobs at
all levels with reasonable periods for applications to be received;
(d) written contracts for all employees;
(e) formal and in-service training for Guyanese to take over from
foreign workers at all levels according to a fixed (but revisable)
schedule;
(f) scholarships or internships for Guyanese, leading usually to
officially recognized qualifications;
(g) creation and operation of branches of existing labour and
professional unions;
(h) workers' representative councils to negotiate with company
management on employment matters including conflict management;
(h) gender issues.
Several other good and sensible points on employment are in the social
issues section of the GFC Code of Practice for Timber Harvesting and in
Part VI A 6 in the National Forest Policy (October 1997).
5. FDI and Go-INVEST concessions could also be used to require holders
of forest harvesting concessions to
(a) provide social infrastructure such as labour living
accommodation/barracks and canteens for company employees;
(b) facilitate access to health posts and schools for company employees
and their families;
(c) provide banking and postal arrangements for company employees and
neighbouring communities;
(d) provide or finance transport work-to-home-to-work for the vacations
of company employees and their accompanying families;
The financial burden of some of these requirements could be mitigated
by reduced forest taxes, according to an agreed barter arrangement.
Indicators of progress, provision for bilateral or independent review,
provision for revision of arrangements, and penalties for inadequate
performance against agreed indicators, are essential for meaningful FDI
contracts. None of these points are at all new.
The year 2006 marked the centennial of the birth of international
labour law and of the trade-labour linkage. Policy-makers in Guyana and
in other countries should as a matter of world public order try to
think through how to achieve free trade and 'a living wage' together.
The beginnings of a synthesis might start with the motto carved on the
foundation stone of the main building of the World Trade Organization,
the Centre William Rappard. The building that now houses the WTO was
originally built for the ILO. What the stone says is "Si vis pacem,
cole justitiam," or "If you desire peace, cultivate justice."
By Janette Bulkan
Sunday Stabroek
February 18th 2007
This week's column resumes the discussion of employment in the forestry
sector against the fourth cause singled out by Guyana's Poverty
Reduc-tion Strategy Programme (PRSP) as responsible for persistent
poverty: "deterioration in the quantum and quality of social services"
(PRSP 2001, p. 7). Here I look especially at employment of Guyanese in
foreign-owned forest sector enterprises. This analysis is undertaken in
the context of the question: Why is there persistent poverty in the
interior alongside the parcelling out of Guyana's best endowed forests
in large-scale forestry concessions?
The official statistics on employment in the forestry sector are out of
date and/or not disaggregated. The 1997/1998 Labour Force Survey lists
50,737 persons (Males 41,982; Females 8,755) as employed in
'Agro-Forestry,' which in that survey denotes 'agriculture' and
'forestry' as separate activities. The 2002/2003 census lists a total
of 3,746 persons employed in 'Forestry, Logging and Related Services,'
and 42,069 in 'Agriculture, Hunting and Related Services.' These
official surveys suggest that full-time employment in the sector is
low, which is not surprising given the low rates of pay, lack of
contracts, job security, training opportunities and poor working
conditions outlined in last week's column.
A common theme in the diaspora is the exploitation, poor remuneration
and disrespect shown to Guyanese who lack 'papers' (legal
documentation), recognized skills certification, work experience
abroad, or union or other representation. Forty years after
Independence, Guyanese workers in the forestry sector suffer the same
fate: as disrespected at home as are undocumented Guyanese abroad.
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) estimates that the forestry sector
provides employment to about 15,000 persons, the majority in the
small-scale sector. The small-scale forestry sector, allocated only
one-fifth of the commercial forests, (and the most worked-over and
worked-out forests) provides 75 per cent of forestry sector employment
according to a Guyana Forestry Commission study in 2003.
At the time of negotiating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) concessions,
foreign-owned companies had emphasised the employment which they would
bring in, but they have generated little sustainably in the way of
employment or sustainable development at the local level. The quotas of
expatriate workers are part of the FDI arrangements negotiated by
Cabinet, and are not covered by the Forests Act or Forest Regulations.
The Commis-sioner of Forests has said that the JaLing Company will be
allowed to exceed its foreign worker quota of 20 per cent for 3-4 years
because there were no local skills (Press conference with Minister for
Forestry Robert Persaud, December 8, 2006). This position signifies
official disregard of a contractual agreement, which itself is much
weaker than OECD guidelines for multi-national enterprises recommend
(see later).
In 2005, the biggest concession holder, with legal control of 26 per
cent of State Production Forests, stated that its workforce totalled
1,100 workers (expatriate and Guyanese) in its logging (400 workers),
milling (100 workers) and plywood factory (550 workers) operations
(Sukhraj 2005). The downsizing of that company's plywood production can
be tracked in the quartering of its workforce in a decade - from 1,900
in 1995 to 1,750 in 1996, to 1,000 in 1997 and 550 in 2005. At the same
time, Barama's expatriate workforce is deployed across its
sub-contracted concessions and in the Amerindian village lands of
Akawini and St Monica, being logged through a 'harvesting contract'
with another company named IWPI. Such arrangements were not mentioned
in the original 1991 FDI agreement and probably not in the still-secret
2001 extended FDI agreement.
The Barama Company seems to be keeping to the overall limit of 15 per
cent expatriate workforce by counting its unskilled local workers at
the processing sites at Land of Canaan and Buck Hall. Foreign-recruited
workers are sent with interpreters for technical training by the Guyana
Forestry Training Centre (FTC), in effect reverse capacity building.
And in spite of the exemptions from all taxes and duties, including
import duties on fuel, the SGS Qualifor's Public Summary quoted a
CARICAD study that, "… a comparison of Barama Company wages and
salary structure rates with their competitors… indicates that BCL can
do more to improve their competitiveness for human resources" (SGS
Qualifor Public Summary 2006:30). Like most locally-owned forest sector
businesses, foreign-owned companies rarely advertise job vacancies.
Selection of administrative staff may be influenced by factors other
than straight efficiency and competence.
Guyanese employers in the forestry sector have not performed well
against labour standards. The proven charges, including of non-payment
of salaries and of failure to pass on NIS deductions, levelled against
Guyanese forestry companies by victimized workers are legion. The
recent declared intent by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs to take
firm action against companies and individuals found guilty of these
practices (SN, February 7, 2007) begs the question of why the terms and
conditions of employment set out in 10.2.3 of the GFC Code of Practice
for Timber Harvesting (2nd edition) are not widely implemented.
Recommendations
1. Excellent relevant models, including FAO and ILO guides, exist for
safe forest working practices. These should be used to enhance the
GFC's Code of Practice for Timber Harvesting (second edition, November
2003). All holders of forest harvesting concessions should be obliged
to work according to a revised version of this code, brought up to date
against the conventions of the Inter-national Labour Organization
(ILO); at present the GFC code is voluntary for older Timber Sales
Agreements (TSAs) and Wood Cutting Licences (WCLs).
2. The GFC should facilitate and support logistically both random spot
checks and scheduled inspections and monitoring visits by the Ministry
of Labour's Oc-cupational Safety and Health staff to manufacturing
plants which process forest products as well as to logging areas.
3. Forest Regulations (1953 as amended) include provisions for camp
conditions and regulations: first aid equipment and sicknurse/community
health worker (Article 37), food rations (Article 38). These
regulations could be used to improve conditions for forest workers.
4. The FDI arrangements negotiated by Cabinet for Barama and JaLing
allow 15 and 20 per cent foreign workers, respectively, with no
provision for a reduction in the percentage of foreigners over time.
Consequently, although Barama has been in operation in Guyana for 15
years, it is still claiming that 15 per cent. This, indeed all FDI
arrangements, should be revised to meet OECD guidelines on
multinational enterprises, and published to conform to the provision
for open government under Article 13 of the National Constitution 1980.
The revision of FDIs should require -
(a) written descriptions for all jobs;
(b) restriction of foreign employees to jobs proven to have no
qualified Guyanese applicants (tested by a competitive application
process);
(c) open advertisement in national press and local news posts (such as
Village Council offices, schools and church buildings) for all jobs at
all levels with reasonable periods for applications to be received;
(d) written contracts for all employees;
(e) formal and in-service training for Guyanese to take over from
foreign workers at all levels according to a fixed (but revisable)
schedule;
(f) scholarships or internships for Guyanese, leading usually to
officially recognized qualifications;
(g) creation and operation of branches of existing labour and
professional unions;
(h) workers' representative councils to negotiate with company
management on employment matters including conflict management;
(h) gender issues.
Several other good and sensible points on employment are in the social
issues section of the GFC Code of Practice for Timber Harvesting and in
Part VI A 6 in the National Forest Policy (October 1997).
5. FDI and Go-INVEST concessions could also be used to require holders
of forest harvesting concessions to
(a) provide social infrastructure such as labour living
accommodation/barracks and canteens for company employees;
(b) facilitate access to health posts and schools for company employees
and their families;
(c) provide banking and postal arrangements for company employees and
neighbouring communities;
(d) provide or finance transport work-to-home-to-work for the vacations
of company employees and their accompanying families;
The financial burden of some of these requirements could be mitigated
by reduced forest taxes, according to an agreed barter arrangement.
Indicators of progress, provision for bilateral or independent review,
provision for revision of arrangements, and penalties for inadequate
performance against agreed indicators, are essential for meaningful FDI
contracts. None of these points are at all new.
The year 2006 marked the centennial of the birth of international
labour law and of the trade-labour linkage. Policy-makers in Guyana and
in other countries should as a matter of world public order try to
think through how to achieve free trade and 'a living wage' together.
The beginnings of a synthesis might start with the motto carved on the
foundation stone of the main building of the World Trade Organization,
the Centre William Rappard. The building that now houses the WTO was
originally built for the ILO. What the stone says is "Si vis pacem,
cole justitiam," or "If you desire peace, cultivate justice."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)