Bill to re-establish Guyana Forestry Commission for debate

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Bill to re-establish Guyana Forestry Commission for debate
Guyana Chronicle, 24 July 2007
Members of the National Assembly will meet on Thursday of this week
when Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud will, for the second time,
read the Guyana Forestry Commission Bill 2007. This will be followed by
a debate by Members of the House.

The Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Guyana Forestry Commission Act
1979, and to re-establish the Guyana Forestry Commission and provide
for incidental matters.

According to the Bill, the Commission will be the same body corporate
as the former Commission and its purpose will be to encourage the
development and growth of forestry in Guyana on a sustainable basis.

Under a new Act, the Commission will be required to keep proper
financial records and submit to the Minister audited accounts for each
financial year, together with an annual report on its activities.

The Commission is allowed to hire employees and engage consultants and
other advisers, but restrictions are placed on commercial operations.

The Commission will be allowed at any time to appoint a committee to
examine and report on any matter connected with any function of the
Commission.

Under the Act, the Commission may, with the consent of the Minister,
enter into commercial operations with respect to any intellectual
property developed in connection with or resulting from the exercise of
any of its functions or any land or building of the Commission.

The new Act, when approved by the National Assembly, shall come into
operation on a date appointed by order of the Minister of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds will move a motion to have the
Conclusion of the 2004 Report of the Disciplined Forces Commission
considered by the National Assembly.

The Motion seeks to have the National Assembly give approval of a
Special Select Committee (SSC) to be established to conclude the
examination of the Report and recommendations of the Disciplined Forces
Commission and report to the National Assembly.

It also seeks to have the newly established SSC of the Ninth Parliament
take cognisance of the work done by the SSC of the Eight Parliament
that considered the Report and is recommendations.

The final report of the Commission was delivered to Speaker Ralph
Ramkarran on May 6, 2004, and was presented to the National Assembly on
May 17, 2004, following which it was referred to a Special Select
Committee.

The SSC was established on November 4, 2004 and commenced its
deliberations on the Report by inviting the Heads of the Disciplined
Forces to share their views on the recommendations pertaining to their
agency.

The SSC first examined the recommendations relating to the Guyana
Police Force and completed a draft preliminary Report in April 2006,
but was unable, owing to the dissolution of the Eighth Parliament on
the May 2, 2006 to present that interim report.

The National Assembly at its July 26 sitting will also be engaged in
security matters when Alliance for Change (AFC) MP Everall Franklin
moves the National Security Committee Motion.

The motion seeks for the National Assembly to agree to the
establishment of a Standing Committee on National Security to review
all aspects of national security, including, but not limited to, the
review of policies and reforms, budgetary allocations and expenditures
and the implementation of a national security strategy and doctrine.
(GINA)