Despite being pressed to do so, logging companies are not moving with alacrity to set-up valued-added processing facilities and Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman plans to meet with several in the coming weeks.
Trotman last month said that should controversial Chinese company Baishanlin and equally contentious Indian company Vaitarna not produce value-added products by the end of the year, their contracts could be terminated. On Friday, he told Stabroek News that work on the 2015 budget had taken priority but now that it has been passed, work can resume on the scrutinising of forestry companies.
Asked about progress in moving towards value-added processing,