The members of six governing boards within the environmental sector were on Thursday given their letters of appointment.
At a brief ceremony at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Ministers of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman and Simona Broomes delivered charges to the chairpersons and members of the Wildlife Scientific Authority (WSA), the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Wildlife Management Authority (WMA) and the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB).
According to Trotman, the Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), whose chair and several members are presently outside the jurisdiction, will receive their letters next week.
Minister Broomes, in her presentation, acknowledged that the boards separately and together play a role in the country’s development as they are responsible for the protection of its natural resources and are linked to the growth of the economy.
She reminded that boards generally are responsible for providing direction to the organisations which they supervise. These visions, missions and goals, she noted, should be policy-based.
Trotman further developed this point by reminding the board members that as the leaders of semi-autonomous bodies they are “extensions of the government of Guyana” whose work should be guided by government policies and the regulations and by laws which govern their particular agency.
While he stressed that the government does not wish to interfere in the functioning of theses bodies, he explained that if they were to find “government policy is not being respected and promoted, we will reach out and touch those agencies.”
Trotman further highlighted the fact that a common thread of protection of the environment and the protection of the natural patrimony runs through these agencies and it is essential that this thread be tightly sewn so that the “synergies” which were previously absent from their functioning are allowed to develop and enhance the functioning of the sector.
“There have previously been tensions between miners and commissions dealing with the protection of flora and fauna,” he said. He cited the example of constant complaints from PAC about illegal mining in Kaieteur National Park.
According to Trotman, if these boards are able to communicate with each other more frequently, perhaps at quarterly meetings, the sector can be better managed.
He charged the boards to act on a fully informed basis, in good faith, with due diligence and care and in the best interest of the organisation over which they have been given charge and responsibility so that all stakeholders will be treated fairly and high ethical standards will be maintained.
