GFC revenue collection has improved significantly -- Singh

GFC revenue collection has improved significantly

• Singh
Kaieteur News, 11 September 2007

Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission, James Singh has
indicated that collection of revenues by GFC has been greatly improved
and stakeholders are complying with the necessary systems put in place
to increase revenue.

“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.

These are part of the efforts 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 GFC for
those who owe outstanding payments and the system has been proceeding
satisfactorily. Acreage fees and royalties are the main income earner
for the GFC, while there are other smaller charges such as the export
concession, and saw mill and lumber dealer licences.

“The finance division has the necessary structures and human resources
to efficiently collect revenues on behalf of the government,” the
Commissioner stated.
Meanwhile, 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 the 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 are crucial to
reducing environmental damages 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 said.
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 GFC indicate that not many lumber yard dealers have been
complying and are being reminded that defaulters will not be licensed
to operate in 2008 unless they meet the requirements set by the
Commission.

Similarly, exporters of forest products are urged to ensure that their
operations conform to the regulations of GFC, especially the minimum
requirement of legal access to land which is of suitable size and
suitably located for 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,”
Singh pointed out.
Over the years, government has been updating policies and laws
relating to the forestry sector and, through the GFC, has been working
with stakeholders to ensure full compliance with the standards put in
place to guide their operations.

This is crucial to further development of the forestry sector which
contributes more than six percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
and employs approximately 25000 persons, particularly in rural
communities.

• Government's interest in forestry development has been showing
encouraging results as the sector grew by 12 percent in 2006 with
export earnings moving from US$48M in 2005 to US$59.5M in 2006.