Forest industry under threat by restrictions

Guyana Chronicle feature article, 06 October 2007

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/news.html

Forest industry under threat by restrictions
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has responded to a number of
allegations made by the Forest Products Association (FPA) by inviting the
body to make formal presentations on these so that they can be dealt with in
the interest of maintaining partnerships in advancing the forestry sector.
The FPA has said that malicious attacks on its activities by persons in the
media, unilateral action by government in the sector and destruction of the
forest by miners were some problems of which the cumulative effect could
lead to a shut down of the industry.
In a statement, the FPA charged that the latest example of malicious intent
was one by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) that Guyana's forests
are being "irresponsibly plundered."
The FPA, the statement said, is acutely aware that unfounded statements like
these can and will only result in enormous and irretrievable damage to the
industry which represents a capital investment commitment of G$160B and
which last year contributed some G$ 360B to Guyana's Gross Domestic Product.
The sector also provided a means of livelihood for close to 100,000 persons,
the statement said.
The statement added that government and the media should be able to grasp
the fact that so called "green groups" in the industrialised countries which
have destroyed their own forests prefer to respond to the threat of global
warming by demanding that countries like Guyana stop the harvesting of its
forests whether environmentally sustainable or not.
It is this group which are financing the critics in Guyana, the FPA charged.
The statement also said that the FPA is extremely disappointed that
government has reacted to unfounded allegations by resorting to wholly
impractical restrictions and regulations which will have the ultimate result
of crippling the industry.
The Minister of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Forests also recently
announced an investigation into alleged corruption in the industry.
The result was a spread of sensational headlines across the media
undermining the industry when in fact issues should be investigated fully
first and wrongdoers if any should be made to be responsible for the so
called "breaches", the FPA said.
The FPA also charged that its members had not been consulted on the forestry
regulations recently introduced; and that the Government had recently
appointed a new Board to the GFC and the FPA for the first time in years was
unrepresented on this Board.
The FPA also lamented what GFC and government said was tantamount to a
series of ultimatums being imposed on members in the wood processing
industry in the form of standards which they will be required to meet
commencing from 2008.
It said that it has appointed a Technical Committee to examine the standards
for wood processing and will be writing the Minister of Agriculture
recommending that the GFC consults with this technical committee before any
implementation of these recommended standards in 2008.
Guyana's foresters, with few exceptions, pose no threat to forests but the
miners and the mining industry does this and with little or no restrictions
by the authorities, the FPA said.
The Association charged that miners have had unrestricted rights to Guyana's
major forests with the right to cut trees, damage riverbanks beyond
recognition and demonstrating little respect for the environment.
The FPA said that its members are committed to responsible environmentally
sound and sustainable forestry practices and prefer to work in partnership
with Government.
The GFC in response to allegations by the FPA about "ill advise statements
by the Minister of Agriculture and the GFC" and "unfair and ill advised
statements by Government" said that they will be fully dealt with once they
are formally presented.