Is the Forest Products Association genuinely committed to local processing?

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56527281

Is the Forest Products Association genuinely committed to local
processing?
Stabroek News
Tuesday, August 21st 2007

Dear Editor,

I refer to the letter by Mr Persaud, President of the FPA captioned
"The Forestry Commission's public consultation on log export policy
lacked credibility, the industry is committed to a phased conversion
from log exports" (07.08.19). I welcome the public debate. After all
these forests belong to all Guyanese, both present and future. We all
have a stake and we all must be aware of what's taking place in these
forests. The prime hardwood species must be sustainably harvested and
processed in Guyana by Guyanese workers to benefit present and future
generations.

I would like to refer to 3 points made by Mr. Persaud -

Firstly he stated that 50 % of the total logs harvested in 2006 were
processed locally amounting to approx 180,000 M3. I would ask that the
FPA makes public a list of the 5 largest sawmills and the amount of
logs in cubic metres processed by each of them in 2006.

Secondly he stated the industry is committed to a phased conversion
from log exports. I would therefore ask that the FPA makes public a
list again of these same 5 sawmills but this time detail the amount of
logs exported and the amount of logs locally processed annually in the
last five years.

These are basic data that anyone in a sawmilling operation must keep,
like in any other business, total purchases and total sales. The FPA
can then publicly upbraid all and sundry but in particular the GFC whom
they are now lambasting while protesting that they are genuinely
committed to local processing .

Finally Mr Persaud stated that a ban or restrictions on exporting logs
would be unrewarding for Guyana. Well let us look at the numbers.

Let Mr Persaud state now the taxes paid and employment generated in
2006 by these 5 largest log exporters whom we presume are members of
the FPA. The FPA can pick any 5 companies in the manufacturing sector
whom they would want to publicize their comparable figures - taxes paid
and employment provided.

I look forward to continuing this public debate with the FPA.

Yours faithfully,

Howard Bulkan