No transfer from Demerara Timbers to Bai Shan Lin

No transfer from Demerara Timbers to Bai Shan Lin
Guyana Chronicle, 29 August 2007

Janette Bulkan is once again exposed as a promoter of rumour rather
than factual information. This “doctoral” candidate from Yale
University should really take time off to get the facts rather than
jump to conclusions on the basis of rumour.

Bulkan in her eagerness to attack the government and the Guyana
Forestry Commission at every angle, does not do the accepted thing and
seek clarification on an issue, instead she lambastes the Government
and Guyana Forestry Commission for not following some procedures in the
“transfer” of Demerara Timbers Limited to Bai Shan Lin Limited.

If Bulkan had simply called Demerara Timbers Limited, the Guyana
Forestry Commission or Bai Shan Lin Limited, then she would have gotten
the real facts of the matter, and would not have embarrassed herself
and lose further credibility by continuing her mis-information and
fact manipulation.

I myself was concerned when I read her article about the transfer of
Demerara Timbers Limited to Bai Shan Lin. However, I sought
clarification from the Commission and was informed that no such thing
had happened. I was also told that the procedure that Bulkan was
referring to was really in respect to the transfer of a concession from
one company to another (involving also a name change), and did not
cover the movement of shares within a specific company.

I was however pleased to note that the revised forest law which is to
be debated soon in Parliament, and which is being ironically, opposed
by Bulkan, actually addresses the transfer of shares within a company.
The revised law makes it compulsory for the GFC to be prior informed,
and also to give approval after completing the necessary due diligence.

The existing law of 1953 does not allow for this, and companies are
therefore free to have a change of shares until the revised law is
passed. How serious are the Bulkans and petitioners of the proposal to
block the new forest law about transparency, and accountability when
the revised law provides for all of these safeguards and the existing
law has all of these glaring loopholes?

The subsequent letter by the CEO of Demerara Timbers Limited refuting
the claims of Bulkanhas clarified the matter beyond doubt. It has
also embarrassed Bulkan, because here it is that Demerara Timbers
Limited is actually moving into the welcome area of added value, yet
Bulkan in her eagerness to misinform seizes the opportunity to spread
rumour. If I were the CEO of Demerara Timbers Limited, I would actually
consider taking legal action against this individual who it seems has a
vicious agenda against the Asians.

It is apparent to me that Bulkan has a definite aversion to Asians
coming and working in Guyana, making investments that very few locals
are prepared to make. She loses no opportunity to criticize them and in
this instance slanders the names of the companies.

However, she does not speak about her very close family members who
have been in the Forest sector for decades and have re-invested
practically nothing into the sector. In fact, Rich Resources, an Asian
controlled company is harvesting on a concession that was granted to
Bulkan’s family decades ago. This is the “land lordism” that Bulkan
should also speak out against.

It would be also good for Bulkan to recognize the tremendous assistance
that the Asian countries are providing to Guyana at the bilateral
level.

Guyana needs foreign investors. They must comply with our rulesand if
they are guilty of breaches, then they must be penalized. However, any
criticism must be justified, it must not be criticism that is seen to
be part of someones agenda to bring down Asian companies. This can be
construed as an attack to discredit the Asian companies and so reduce
competition with family members who are also in the forestry sector.

The general public now has more evidence to see that Bulkan’s campaign
in the forestry sector is mis guided, and lacks credibility.

The reviewers of her thesis at Yale should be requested to go through
her documentation to ensure that it is based on fact.
PreamnarineKaran