When will Iwokrama deliver

When will Iwokrama deliver?

Dear Editor,

A few days ago, Mr. Jerry Gouveia and Mr. Brian James were discussing tourism, and how Iwokrama fits into this. The press also reported Iwokrama signing a co-management agreement with a neighbouring community.

The question which comes to mind is when will the Iwokrama model be realised? Iwokrama has been in existence for over ten years now, and to date, I am certain that the revenues generated cover below 50% of their operating cost.

Iwokrama has spent significant amounts of donor monies and our own tax payers' monies; in my estimation, in excess of US$50M over its life so far, and yet it cannot be financially sustainable. Iwokrama gets into everything, except real, viable, economic, financial, and sustainable activities.

Well over a year ago, the press reported Iwokrama and DTL inking a timber harvesting agreement. Why is it that, to date, not a single tree has been cut? Why does Iwokrama, in all of its financial difficulties, continue to pay super salaries to employees, employ high priced consultants to do nothing, and get involved in a host of non-economic activities?

All of Iwokrama's business plans are on paper but hardly anything gets implemented. Iwokrama needs fresh blood of business oriented managers, who know how to manage a forestry operation to gain economic benefits, while at the same time maintaining its conservation objectives. These small activities here and there will never make Iwokrama sustainable.

I read, with great interest, about the failure to implement their business proposals of some of our foreign investors in the forestry sector. The same set of writers and commentators need to be fair in their judgement and scrutinize Iwokrama in like manner.

But, of course, we know that some of those authors are either employed by Iwokrama as consultants, or were previously employed by Iwokrama, and hence they owe allegiance. Integrity is what should matter, and not allegiance.

Preamnarine Karan

Kaieteur News