Lethem needs a helping hand to really come into its own

Aug 13, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
We here on the coastland are all too familiar with the sufferings of our fellow Guyanese way down south of the country, the border town of Lethem in the Rupununi. Despite the positive news documentaries and television reports, Lethem is a place in distress.
One might even say that it is a place which has been virtually neglected by the current administration. The evidence is there to see: first and foremost, there is not a reliable road link between the coast and this port town. While there is now a feasibility study being carried out to address a road link, at present the conditions of the roadway is so treacherous that it is being closed on several occasions, virtually locking out the community down there from the rest of Guyana. Persons venturing there are literally trapped and so the story goes.
It is vital that a roadway to Lethem be a top priority of this administration. It is urgent that this project get underway as quickly as possible.
Lethem holds so much potential for this country. It is a tourism jewel waiting to be discovered. Yes, every year at Easter time, we see the main tourism event in the town, the Rodeo being advertised. Tourists flock; coastlanders enter the port town of Lethem, even Brazilians. Hotels are packed to capacity. Things run nice and smooth. The government sends many entourages to the event; nice speeches are delivered. Then what happens after that? Lethem is left to be run down until the next year. It is indeed sad to hear and read about the current tragedies, which could have been prevented, are taking place in this most beautiful and pristine area in Guyana.
An area which is home to the world famous Kanuku Mountain ranges, the Kumu Waterfalls, the Shea Rock, the vast Rupununi north and south savannahs, one of the loveliest sunrise in the entire country and some of the best scenes anyone’s camera can capture in this lovely country of ours.  It’s a shame that Lethem cannot see its full potential today. It has been reduced to a place as far as in miles as it is from the hearts and minds from those in the corridors of power here on the coastland.
Now the residents there are scampering for fuel, prices of which have skyrocketed; and beverage supplies are running out too, due to the road closure.
Let’s talk about electricity. Residents of Lethem are being starved of this most essential commodity. Faulty generators and problems regularly plague the power grid there and businesses are thrown off, while many losses ensue. All of this should not be happening. Lethem is located near to one of the most powerful countries in this hemisphere.
Given the right resources and nurture by this government, Lethem can rise to the top and become one of the booming economic hubs of this country. A good road is first needed though.
Until then – if that happens even – what the people of Lethem need to do is to begin taking steps on their own to solidify relationships with their Bon Fin and Brazilian counterparts immediately. Brazil has much to offer to them; much more than we here on the coastland ever could, more so our leaders here.
Lethem needs a helping hand to really come into its own. I would really like to see the two sides of the borders down there work hand in hand to make life and conditions there much better than it is today. Lethem should have been treated as an asset to this country; sadly it seems that it has been forgotten about. Maybe we’re waiting for the other country next door to move in on what is our own. Would that be such a bad idea after all?
Leon Jameson Suseran

Guyana has a well established record of forest management and harvesting

Dear Editor
The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) refers to a letter written by Mr. Tarron Khemraj in the Wednesday. August 1l, 2010 edition of SN, captioned, “Will the Minister of Agriculture now be moving towards independent forest monitoring in the forest industry”. The same article was carried in the Wednesday August 11, 2010 edition of Kaieteur News, titled, “Fair trade agreement for rice producers what for timber producers?”
This article is very misleading since it gives the wrong impression that very little progress has been made in terms of Guyana subjecting itself to Independent Forest Monitoring (1FM), and also exploring the possibility of joining the EU FLEGT programme.
Additionally, both media houses and Mr. Khemraj could have avoided this non-factual reporting by simply seeking clarification on both issues: either directly from the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), or alternatively by visiting the GFC or LCDS websites (vvivw.forestryni, wwwledsariv.ey) to apprise themselves of the latest developments in these important areas.
Let me first remind all stakeholders, especially Mr. Khemraj, that Guyana has a well established record of forest management and harvesting which is compliant with international environmental and best practices. These have been derived from sound collaboratively developed policies, guidelines and legislation.
Further, Guyana has probably the only truly national log tagging and log tracking system in the entire world. This enables us to establish a chain of custody as well as being able to verify if produce came from legally issued and sustainably managed forests.
The 25 strategically located forest stations; resident forest officers at large concessions: provision of training in Reduced Impact Logging; Compulsory Verification of 100% pre-harvest inventory information prior to harvesting, in collaboration with submission of an Annual Operational Plan (A0P) for each calendar year of operation; supported by three different levels of audit make this system functional, robust arid credible.
On the basis of the above and combined with strong support from direct and indirect stakeholders, Guyana is internationally recognised as having a scientifically established low rate of deforestation (<1%) and also recognised as a source of forest produce originating from sustainably managed forests.
Guyana is proud of this record and visibility and we have publicly said that we are willing to subject ourselves to independent forest monitoring.
For Mr. Khemraj’s information, detailed Terms of Reference have been developed for IFM in collaboration with representatives of the Climate Department in the Ministry of Environment Kingdom of Norway. These have been advertised publicly for a 30-day period and we expect that the successful applicant will be in Guyana in September 2010 to commence this activity.
On the issue of engaging in the EU FLEGT process, Mr. Khemraj needs to be reminded that the Government of Guyana has been very proactive in this regard.
For example, there was an initial seeping and sensitization meeting of key Guyanese stakeholders in March 2010 with a consultant from the European Tropical Institute (ETI. ETI is one of the key agencies that promote the EU FLEGT programme. This process will continue with other stakeholder sessions scheduled for September 2010.
Mr. Khemraj should also be advised that Guyanese stakeholders were also recently briefed (July 2010) on the implications of the USA Lacy Act relative to the export of forest produce from Guyana and its importation into the USA. This activity was done in collaboration with US AID/US Forest Service at the invitation of the Government of Guyana.
These are just a few of the activities that have been done; work will continue to be done in these areas, as well as in additional areas such as the further development of the World’s forest national scale Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System (MRVS): implementation of the Readiness Activities under Guyana’s Readiness Preparation Proposal (RIP); completing actions under Guyana Readiness Governance Development Plan (RGDP) such as the review and revision of the National Forest Policy, National Forest Plan. Code of Practice for Forest Operations, Code of Practice for Non-Timber Forest Products; Community Forestry Development, Operating of Guyana’s Legality Assurance System; preparation of a Code of Practice for processing operations; Harmonization of land use policies and guidelines etc.
I will not go into the details of these except to say that the people and Government of Guyana are committed to doing everything possible to ensure that there is utilization of our renewable Natural Resources but in a manner that is consistent with internationally accepted best practices, collaboratively to a Guyana specific situation.
However, Mr. Khemraj can access these updates in real time from the two websites mentioned earlier; alternatively he is free to seek same directly from relevant GFC staff members.
In closing, we are encouraged by the fact that stakeholders see these issues as being important to the national socic-economic and environmental development of Guyana and welcome dialogue that is constructive and aimed at promoting the development of the sector. We urge, however, that information presented in the public domain must be objective, factual and current.
James Singh
Commissioner of Forests

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