Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM
Jocelyn Dow to chair Forestry board, Janette Bulkan included
– Ming confirmed as GGMC Chairman; Varshnie Singh on Protected Areas body
Government has officially named a number of State boards, with businessman Stanley Ming confirmed as Chairman for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Chairing the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) will be businesswoman, Jocelyn Dow, while IT specialist, Lance Hinds, has been appointed to the lead the Guyana Energy Agency.
Notably included in the Protected Areas Commission as a member will be Varshnie Singh, ex-wife of former President Bharrat Jagdeo.
According to the Official Gazettes published this week, there will be 20 persons on the Board of GGMC which regulates the extractive sectors, with the exception of forestry.
The commission is a key one that has been under scrutiny for a number of mining lands granted under questionable circumstances. There has been a number of mining deaths recently that forced the administration to order an inquiry.
The Commissioner, Rickford Vieira, whose tumultuous relationship with the previous GGMC board came to light last year, has been sent on leave pending an assessment of his performance.
Of the 20 persons on the new GGMC board, the life of which expired on December 31, 13 will be members, with the remainder observers.
The members are Mark Waldron, Nageshwari Lochanprasad, Euliene Watson, Vanda Radzik, Briony Tiwari and representatives from GGMC and GFC, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, the Guyana Women Miners Association, and Parliamentary Opposition.
The observers will be Derrick Lawrence, Tom Dalgety, and representatives from the police, army, the Guyana Gold Board, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), and the Ministry of the Amerindian People’s Affairs.
With regards to the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the new Chairman will be David Singh while the members are Clayton Hall, Gerhard Ramsaroop, Raquel Thomas, Varshnie Singh, a representative from the Parliamentary Opposition, Commissioner of the PAC, the Ministry of the Amerindian People’s Affairs, GGMC and the GL&SC.
With more scrutiny also in what is happening in the forestry sector, Government has promised widespread reforms to ensure compliance in the allocation of forest lands for logging activities.
A number of large concessions to especially foreign investors have been raising eyebrows.
Marketing executive, Troy Cadogan, will be the Vice Chairman while the other GFC board members will be Clayton Hall, Aaron Fraser, Vanessa Kissoon, Mr Khalawan- representatives of the Forest Producers Association and the Forest Producers Development and Marketing Council, the Opposition, Commissioner of GFC, workers’ rep and Legal Officer of GFC, Ministry of the Indigenous People’s Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and forestry consultant, Dr. Janette Bulkan.
Bulkan has been heavily critical of GFC’s transparency.
With questions also over the management of the wildlife trade in the country, a new board has also been announced for the Wildlife Management Authority (WMA).
Phillip da Silva will be the new Chairman while the members will be Dr. Simpson da Silva, Chairman of the Wildlife Authority, representative of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, GFC, Guyana Revenue Authority, police, Chairman of the Wildlife Scientific Authority, the Legal Officer and a representative of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs.
Meanwhile, GEA’s other board members will include Nadia Sagar, Mark Bender, representative of the Parliamentary Opposition, CEO of GEA and Vincent Adams.
GEA is the country’s regulator for fuel but widespread smuggling had raised questions whether the regulator has been doing enough.
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