Barama slams Akawini over discontent with forest pact

- says willing to discuss options

Stabroeknews

Wednesday, March 21st 2007
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56516537

Barama Company Limited has lashed out at the Akawini Village Council for its criticism of an agreement it has with one of Barama's sub-contractors in Region Two, Interior Wood Products Inc (IWPI), but is willing to discuss options with the village. General Manager of Barama Girwar Lalaram told Stabroek News on Friday that he is willing to intervene and work on the issues that the village is concerned about. He is convinced that the agreement signed has the best interest of all the parties at heart. But the village is calling the agreement with IWPI exploitative, and said that it was made in bad faith. With the help of the Amerindian Peoples' Association, the village is trying to get out of the agreement even if it means taking legal action. Villagers said the Barama operation is destroying their way of life and that they are facing the destruction and loss of their forest resources "that have sustained our people for generations." In response, Lalaram said that the company it sub-contracts cuts 99 per cent of the peeler logs in the concessions. "How can you destroy a forest by cutting 99 per cent of one species?" he asked. He said although Barama put in the infrastructure for the harvesting to take place, people have gone "behind the scenes" and have given the villagers chainsaws and have cut all the Greenheart and Purpleheart at Barama's expense. He said Barama has put in roads, bridges and other infrastructure which will benefit the communities long after it would have left. On the other hand, the community said IPWI enticed it with the prospect of good employment and the promise that at least 80 persons from the village would be doing skilled jobs for salaries as high as $80,000. In reality only 12 persons were employed to do menial work for very little reward. In some cases, persons earn as little as $17,000 per month, it said. To this, Lalaram said that through IWPI, Barama is employing 51 persons as tree fellers and in other positions. He said too that the company is directly employing 40 persons at Buck Hall on the Essequibo River. Further, the Council also accused Barama of going back on a commitment it made to donate $300,000 per month to the village. But Lalaram refutes this. He said because of "accounting irregularities" within the village council the money goes directly to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.