Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 14, 2019 Letters
Recently the media has been dominated by news that GFC is cash-strapped. Mr. President this is not surprising, as we small loggers in Region 10 are facing the same woes and are on the verge of being extinct from the industry we have been in for over 40 years. Small loggers in Region 10, all of who supported the APNU/AFC Government, are feeling the impact of GFC’s financial woes. When the Commission suffers, we suffer.
Firstly the concessions are out of stock. Secondly, the land is small, with many members having to work a little area. The tags quota is small with large members, we don’t have rich species, the roads are in a bad state and the markets are hard to get. So we depend on help.
We have a large stock of logs in the backdam that we can’t haul because we don’t have markets, plus the equipment to pull it on the road. Buyers have come to us, but they are saying GFC is not giving them permission to buy it from us and send it abroad. They are willing to pick it up at the stump and pay us a good price but need your permission, Mr President, to buy and sell it abroad.
A few months ago during a Ministerial outreach in Region 10, we brought this matter to Minister Trotman, and he promised to assist, but two months have gone and we never heard back. Is this the way you treat your supporters. Our children go to sleep hungry; we need monies to buy school supplies, we need to put bread on the table for our families.
Mr. President, we the small loggers of Region 10 are asking for your urgent help to let the government give permission for buyers to purchase our products and send it abroad so we can get pay and keep our business going.
Small loggers face a lot of stringent requirements and compliance is very high. We cause very little degradation in the forest. We are also aware that Guyana’s green reputation overseas is based on good conduct in the forest. Yet we get no benefits and the miners get all the benefits – miners who damage the environment.
Mr. President, we supported you in 2015 and we stand ready to support you again in the upcoming elections. We are discouraged though when we see our Government hold on to outdated policies that are disadvantaging region 10.
The current log export policy prohibits us from consolidating exports across the various communities in region 10, and individually we are too small to compete with the large operators and access international markets. Yet, after so much representation we have made directly to the Ministry of Natural Resources and at the Government outreaches, nothing has been done to change this travesty.
You can do more for us, Mr. President. We are your supporters and this is our time of need. Help. Help. Help.
Sincerely,
Terence Williams
Small Logger
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