MEDIA RELEASE, BRUNO MANSER FONDS, BASEL / SWITZERLAND
Samling plays leading role in Guyana’s illegal logging scandal
President Jagdeo condemns Malaysian timber giant, announces serious
penalties
Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana, publicly condemned Malaysian
logging giant Samling for illegal logging and announced that the
corporation might be seriously penalized for its breaches of the South
American country's forest laws. According to recent press reports, the
Guyanese Head of State disclosed that the alleged breaches of forestry
procedures involve collusion between Samling's Guyanese subsidiary
Barama Co. Ltd., some concessionaires and staff of the Guyana Forestry
Commission.
"Based upon preliminary investigations it seems as though there was a
system among the three groups to defraud the government", according to
Staebrok News, a daily appearing in Guyana's capital Georgetown, in
quoting President Jagdeo. The offenders might be penalized with
revocation of their licenses, suspension or a fine. Meanwhile, the
Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) asked for a temporary suspension
of Forestry Commissioner James Singh and the appointment of independent
investigators.
Barama is illegally exploiting 408'000 hectares of tropical rainforest
from Guyana in addition to its legally held 1.61 million hectares of
forest concessions. Since 1991, the Malaysian loggers have been
benefiting from a Foreign Direct Investment Agreement that grants them
large tax exemptions and other privileges. The controversial company
enjoys the support of international banks such as Credit Suisse, HSBC
and Macquarie Securities which sponsored its public listing on the Hong
Kong stock exchange in March 2007.
Samling, which has its operational headquarters in the East Malaysian
state of Sarawak, has a long track record of illegal and unsustainable
logging. In recent years, the company was forced to cease its
involvement in logging activities in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea
because of non-compliance with local regulations. Only the Sarawak
State Government continues to lend Samling unlimited support despite
unsustainable logging practices and numerous unresolved conflicts with
indigenous communities.
In March 2007, 37 non-governmental organizations from 18 countries
asked investors to shun Samling. It is high time that international
banks, institutional investors and timber retailers start to divest
themselves of all their ties with Samling.
Links to Guyanese news reports:
http://www.stabroeknews.com
For further information on Guyana forestry issues:
http://guyanaforestryblog
For further information on Samling’s illegal and unsustainable
activities, please contact us:
Bruno Manser Fonds
for the Peoples of the Rainforest
Heuberg 25
4051 Basel / Switzerland
Tel.
+41 61 261 94 74
inof@bmf.ch, www.bmf.ch
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