The Forest Products Association elected its Executive Committee to serve for the 2012-2014 fiscal year, at its 60th AGM held at the Hotel Tower last Wednesday.
In highlighting some of the accomplishments of the outgoing team, its president Hilbertus Cort said they were able to lobby the minister to adjust the 10-metre felling rule; they led the log export consultative process conducting two FAO-funded awareness workshops on the EU-Forest Legality Enforcement and Governance trade and they lobbied government to reconsider the long term renewal of five large concessions. They were also able to put measures in place to have better access to the Guyana Forestry Commission board, a press statement from the association said.
According to Cort, the process to elect new office bearers was “smooth, orderly, and transparent.” The following office bearers were selected: Peter Khalawan (president); Mohindra Chand (senior vice president); Deonarine Ramsaroop (junior vice president) and Lennox Cornette (secretary/treasurer).
The committee members are Cort, Ganesh Singh, a logger of Berbice; Reggie Manbodh (Guyana Shield Forest Resources Limited); Doodnauth Narine, a logger of Berbice; Charles Thom (Upper Berbice Forest Producers Association); Yacoob Ally (A Mazaharally and Sons Limited); Avinash Persaud (Toolsie Persaud Limited); Anthony Yong (Demerara Timbers Limited); and Jainarain Balram, a small logger of Region 10. John Willems and Leo Ramotar were elected trustees. The new team pledged to work more assiduously to promote the Association and the well-being of its members, the release said.
