GHRA demands independent forestry investigation - urges temporary suspension of Commissioner

GHRA demands independent forestry investigation
- urges temporary suspension of Commissioner
Kaieteur News, 27 September 2007

Following Tuesday's announcement that an extensive investigation has
been launched into the timber industry, the Guyana Human Rights
Association (GHRA) yesterday called for the immediate suspension of
Forestry Commissioner James Singh and slammed the government for making
an “unacceptable and inadequate response”.

In a statement, GHRA also urged that for the probe to have any
credibility, independent investigators must be appointed since the GFC
could not police itself.

According to the watchdog group, the announcement by the Ministry of
Agriculture of “an internal investigation by the Guyana Forestry
Commission (GFC) into under-pricing and false declarations of timber
products is an unacceptable and inadequate response to allegations of
irregular, illegal and corrupt activities taking place in this sector.

“Two minimum conditions for the credibility of the investigation are
the temporary suspension of Forestry Commissioner, James Singh, and the
appointment of independent investigators.”

GHRA noted that in addition to under-pricing, the past decade has seen
a catalogue of dubious and illegal management practices including
over-logging of prime species, ‘land-lording' of concessions,
non-payment of revenues, labour exploitation of indigenous people,
reverse buy-outs disguising true ownership, preference for foreign
labour over Guyanese labour, and destruction of national and
Amerindian forest assets.

“Whether Commissioner Singh may be involved in any of the activities
under investigation is not the point. He has presided over a key
statutory body over the period of years this catalogue of accusations
has accumulated,” GHRA pointed out.

Further GHRA opined that that the announced investigation is not the
result of internal GFC zeal, but rather the external pressure from
national and international agencies and activists outraged by the
irresponsible plundering of Guyana 's forests.

Regarding statements made that the probe was prompted after the GFC
started scrutinizing closely its books for the past three months, GHRA
expressed its disbelief: “This is not a recent problem.

As long ago as 1994, sixty-one local and international signatories
including virtually every major environmental network and agency on the
planet wrote to the Government of Guyana and all donor agencies on the
occasion of the World Bank Advisory Group Meeting in Guyana.

That statement urged that: “The Government freeze the handing out of
logging concessions and institutes a Commission of Inquiry into the
performance of the industry. As well as reviewing the effects on
Amerindians, paying special attention to their land rights, the
Commission should make public the content and extent of all Timber
Sales Agreements and logging concessions, assess the conditions of the
labor force in forest operations and establish to what extent the
Forestry Commission is able to ensure effective forest management.”

The statement also quoted Stabroek News of October 29, 1993, to the
effect that “the Agency clearly is unable to perform its functions…it
is largely unable to collect the fees it is due and unable to enforce
planning requirements and environmental safeguards.”

GHRA said that such terms of reference for an independent Commission of
Inquiry remain even more valid today than when first formulated and
should replace the proposed investigation.

The recent dismissal of a Deputy Commissioner of the GFC is a trivial
response to the scale of the problem, and the “nation deserves adequate
assurance that its ancient forests are receiving the protection they
require,” the statement said.

“The Ministry's release refers to under-declaration and pricing of
logs, which is a short-term loss of revenue to the nation. It remains
silent on the irrevocable damage to the global environment this
plundering represents.”

The investigations, said GHRA, if further strengthened by an
independent would lend more credibility to the arguments of President
Bharrat Jagdeo who is currently lobbying world leaders gathered at the
UN in New York to discuss climate change and carbon credits.

“His arguments that nations, like Guyana , which have not squandered
their forest patrimony deserve more equitable financial support, would
be further strengthened by a vigorous and impartial inquiry.

In an unprecedented move Tuesday, Government disclosed it had launched
an intensive investigation into the forestry sector after several
discrepancies were unearthed.