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The FPA and the GFC are strange bedfellows

Aug 16, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
It might seem from your reports on the Forest Producers Association and the Guyana Forestry Commission that they are always at each others throat. However they are indeed strange bedfellows.

The GFC are well aware that most TSA lease holders are not deserving of their forest concessions. In almost all cases those stakeholders have not met the quotas for sustainable harvesting as allowed by the GFC.

For over a decade the lease holders have claimed they do not have the resources to exploit their concessions, have owed the GFC millions of dollars and have short changed the State of royalty and yet the GFC have not cancelled their leases.

A basic requirement for them to be granted a concession in the first place was for them to have done exploratory assessments of the areas and they committed in their leases to having the finances to utilise same. They have failed to meet their obligations and the GFC have been complicit with those companies and individuals.

The reasoning of the GFC can only be because of a need to control the stakeholders who in many cases represent formidable business interests.

Consequently Government uses the leases to keep stakeholders under control, a form of patronage.
Why else would Government consider renewing any of the defaulting TSA holders leases if they have failed to meet the basic terms of their leases?

Unless you accept that argument it is even more confusing that a few leases have been renewed this year for another 20 years when the stakeholders have not complied with the terms of their leases.

An example is a large Trinidadian financial company whose major shareholder is a Government and party supporter.

That company, since it assumed the lease of hundreds of thousands of forested area, has never shown the capability of working its forest concession.

Yet, their lease was renewed. Others, who have not been as close to Government and Party have been issued one year renewals.

Indeed that might have been done to have them comply with GFC regulations and then renew for the longer period that is customary.

However I suspect that it is simply Government exercising its might to swing the axe at any time it chooses and fell the delinquent stakeholders.

It is a vicious use of power that is only in the People’s interest if all TSA holders are held accountable which is clearly not the case.

So there are TSA lessees holding their breath until Government renew their leases, very careful not to offend the All-powerful while there are others with current leases that do not deserve them.

So the FPA chooses its battles carefully, trying not to jeopardise the individually potent but delinquent TSA members’ interest to have their leases renewed or remain in force.

The “balance” between if to act or remain dormant is the main reason why the FPA’s bark is much worse than its bite and why they make for excitable poodles to the masters.
Name and address withheld

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