Forestry probe…Two top officials, business disciplined

Forestry probe…Two top officials, business disciplined
Kaieteur News, 30 August 2007

An Assistant Commissioner and another high-ranking official of the
Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) have been disciplined following
revelations that they allegedly manipulated internal procedures.

And GFC has also taken actions against a local business which
collaborated with the two officials.

A top Government official yesterday disclosed that a keen eye is being
kept on the forestry sector and any deliberate deviation from the
procedures will be met with punishment.

The GFC has also taken action against the external stakeholders who
were involved in the identified breach of procedures.

The commission has affirmed that there are established procedures which
must be complied with regarding the export of forest products from
Guyana .

In an issued statement yesterday, the commission said that it will
continue to monitor closely, the implementation of its export and all
other procedures, adding that it will take the necessary actions
against every defaulter.

The action against the two officials comes in the wake of recent
announcements of management shake-ups with the army and prison system,
and is being viewed by many as Government's growing intolerance of
indiscipline and corruption within the public service and governmental
agencies.

A statement from GFC yesterday did not call any names or indicate
whether police have been called in. GFC said that “two officers of the
GFC have been disciplined in accordance with the GFC Human Resources
Policy Manual.”

Last week, a former manager of a top sawmill disclosed that wrongdoing
is widespread within the forestry sector. He leveled several charges
claiming that Guyana is losing a lion's share of the royalties due on
timber, and accused Customs officials and GFC rangers of colluding with
exporters to defraud the government.

The spotlight was again turned to the forestry sector with the recent
disclosure that Bai Shan Lin, a Chinese logging company, is under the
microscope for alleged labour abuses against Guyanese workers. Also
joining the fray is the Amerindian Affairs Ministry which accused a
number of loggers of abusing Amerindians.

Meanwhile, the GFC in the statement stressed that all staff and
stakeholders should be aware that there are established procedures
governing the export of forest produce from Guyana which must be
complied with. “These procedures have been publicized in the print
media, and by various other mechanisms.

Any stakeholder who is unsure of these procedures can obtain a copy
from the nearest GFC Forest Station.”