Georgetown: Companies looking to capitalise on the available forest concessions will have to prove they employ sustainable forestry practices. This is even as the government looks to re-allocate concessions once held by the Barama Logging Company.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, says that the ministry has begun inviting tenders for forest concessions previously held by the Barama Logging Company.
Speaking to the media, Trotman said advertisements are being placed locally and internationally. “The Guyana Forestry Commission has been advertising in the media locally, as well as in major forestry magazines and websites regionally and internationally, to invite interested and highly competent parties to submit Expressions of Interest for State Forest Exploratory permits,” Trotman said. The deadline for submission of applications is January 20, 2016.
According to Trotman, the processing of applications will begin after the deadline for submission. “We will begin a new chapter of greater sustainability practices in forestry and a reinvigorated focus on value added,” he explained.
Trotman explained that the 1.6 million hectares concession previously held by Barama will be divided into four smaller portions. “One of these portions will be used for conservation; a second will be made available to small loggers who are interested in pursuing sustainable logging activities, while the last two will be open to multinational companies interested in operating larger concessions in an environmentally sustainable way,” he said.
In October, Barama announced its decision to, not extend its forest concession agreement with the Government of Guyana. Trotman assured that his Ministry, through the Guyana Forestry Commission, is monitoring the winding up of the company’s logging operations even as the Ministry of Social Protection continues to engage the company directly on matters related to its workers.
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