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Asian footprints of disaster will soon overtake Guyana’s forests

Jul 31, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) seems to be badly over-reacting on the local timber producers as against the Asian companies.

The Asian companies control over 90% of the forest reserves and the timber trade while the local producers are very much smaller.

Yet the GFC seems to go light on the foreigners but comes down heavily on the locals.

The Asian multi-national companies appear to be getting away with everything and the GFC is unable to manners them.

They were fined once and considering their size and the enormity of their infringements, the fine was a slap on the wrist.

The harassment the GFC is imposing on the local producers has become unbearable and will close down the local saw-millers and force them to sell out to the Asian multi¬nationals.

Indeed, some companies have already started to rent out their concessions to the Asians because they can’t deal with the GFC.

The local timber producers have been in business for 100 years and during that time they had respected and protected the forests.

It is because the local producers had protected the forests and the environment and biodiversity that the Guyana forests have an outstanding world-wide reputation.

But the situation will change owing to the GFC’s failures and lapses, and the Asian footprints of disaster will soon overtake Guyana’s forests as they have overtaken Malaysia and Indonesia.

For example, the GFC’s recent dealing with TPL, an old established local company, is leading to disaster.
To fine a local saw-mill eighty million dollars would destroy its liquidity and close it down.

If the government and Minister don’t understand the disaster they are bringing on the local timber producers, then no one could help.

The Minister concerned will soon be presiding over failures. Please take heed of the plight of the local producers before it is too late.
Henry G. Niles

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