Forestry commission revenue collection greatly improved -GFC commissioner

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Forestry commission revenue collection greatly improved
-GFC commissioner
Stabroek News, Saturday, September 15th 2007

Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) James Singh has
stated that collection of revenues has been greatly improved and
stakeholders are complying with the necessary systems put in place to
up receipts, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

"In the past, indeed we did have difficulties in collecting fees but
now I think the situation has improved tremendously. We have a very
vibrant billing system through which persons are expected to pay their
charges," Singh said, according to GINA.

It said that this is part of the effort to ensure that the commission
functions effectively to monitor and oversee expanded forestry growth.
A repayment system was put in place by the finance department of the
GFC for those who owe outstanding payments and the system has been
proceeding satisfactorily, GINA reported.

Acreage fees and royalties are the main income earners for the GFC
while there are other smaller charges such as the export concession,
sawmill and lumber dealer licences, GINA pointed out.

"The finance division has the necessary structures and human resources
to efficiently collect revenues on behalf of the Government," the
Commissioner stated.

The GFC is working with other agencies such as the Forest Products
Marketing Council (FPMC) and the Forestry Training Centre (FTC) to
address other areas of concern in the forest sector, including training
of stakeholders in various aspects.

At FTC training is offered in various critical areas including Reduced
Impact Logging (RIL) and forestry companies are granted the opportunity
to have their employees trained in some of these aspects such as
inventory and management planning.

These areas, GINA said further, are crucial to reducing environmental
damage to forests that could be caused by logging activities.

"Even though the training is provided at a subsidised cost, not many
stakeholders are coming on board and we want to emphasize that persons
need to take advantage of this because forestry is becoming more and
more demanding. Consumers are demanding daily a more green product and
if persons can show that their employees are trained at the Forestry
Training Centre, then they will be better off," Singh was quoted as
saying.

Additionally, GFC in collaboration with the FPMC is facilitating a
timber grading course through which more than 100 persons have already
been trained for 2007.

This is to ensure adequate human resources to conduct grading
particularly since this is a requirement for licensing of lumber yards.
As part of GFC's regulatory standard, lumber yard dealers are required
to have their products stocked in an orderly manner and graded, making
it easier for consumers.

Reports from the GFC indicate that not many lumber yard dealers have
been complying and they are being reminded that defaulters would not be
licensed to operate in 2008 unless they meet the requirements set by
the commission.

GINA said that similarly, exporters of forest products are urged to
ensure that their operations conform to the regulations of the GFC,
especially the minimum requirement of legal access to land which is of
suitable size and suitably located for the GFC's officers to conduct
their routine checks.

"We want to remind exporters that the onus is on them to grade all
lumber for export since the GFC does not do grading.

We do verification, so strong actions will be taken against
defaulters," GINA quoted Singh as saying.