Saying that the former PPP/C government allocated all of the country’s productive forests prior to demitting office, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman yesterday announced plans to review the process.
“When we assumed government we were met with an alarming situation where we discovered that 100% or all of our productive forest was allocated by the past government,” Trotman told the National Assembly during his contribution to the budget debate.
“How could a responsible government preside over the allocation of all, not some, but all of its productive forest? What about future generations?” he questioned.
It is in this vein that he announced that the process would be reviewed. “In the context of the national patrimony, this is a threat to our long term viability and security as a people. Understandably, in the national interest, we will have to do something about it.”
Trotman declared.
Trotman’s disclosure seemed to have shocked his fellow parliamentarians as many shouts of “What!?” echoed throughout the chamber.
“Take them back!” Minister of Social Cohe-sion Amna Ally urged him.
Trotman said that his ministry continues to update and rationalise policies and laws relating to the conservation, management, protection and sustainable development of the nation’s patrimony.
“In light of the changes in Guyana’s economic, social and political landscape over the last five years since the previous forest policy was crafted, and the increased attention given to environmental aspects and to the importance of forest management both nationally and internationally, the government will commence a review of the existing policy. An updated forest policy will mark a significant shift in emphasis from the development of the timber potential of our forests to management of the forests’ multiple goods and services for the national benefit,” he also announced.
Dismantle
Meanwhile, PPP/C parliamentarian Odinga Lumumba, who also spoke yesterday, called on government to dismantle the Closed Area Committee over fears that it could lead to corruption. The committee was initially set up to identify closed areas and state reserves that can be open to miners but its functions had evolved over successive PPP/C administrations.
Lumumba also called for more lands to be opened up for mining so that small miners can benefit. “The Closed Area Committee should be abolished…it leads to corruption, nepotism and all other kind of isms,” Lumumba said in his presentation, which came directly before Trotman’s.
Lumumba also pointed to the oil and gas sector and he noted that the budget does not address developmental plans for the industry and he made several recommendations to government.
He believes that the country should not wait on educational development of its human resources for the sector to come from ExxonMobil but start training persons from now so that in the next two years, at minimum, there will be persons with a diploma in the petroleum and oil areas of study.
He said too that Guyana should engage Trinidad and Tobago for assistance in training as that country has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the sector. “Immediately start a programme at the University of Guyana so that in two or four years you have qualified persons… ensure the Government Technical Institute have a technician programme,” he said.
“This must be the year, regardless of differences, we must work to find solutions and put our problems at the back of us and have a united country,” he asserted.
Trotman told the house that he had noted Lumumba’s points and that he “made some very good points that we will be taken into consideration.”
The minister also announced that ExxonMobil will begin drilling for more oil offshore tomorrow in an aggressive campaign.
“We are pleased to say Mr Speaker that this has already started to give a boost, small as it is for now, to our economy and there is heightened activity, helicopters are going back and forth. There is heightened activity, helicopters are going back and forth. There is much activity and perhaps we can have the chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee (Lumumba) see for himself what is happening”, the minister said.
Trotman also detailed achievements of his ministry, which was formally a department until the end of last year, during the new government’s nine months in office and he informed that they have commenced a series of critical initiatives to improve management and coordination of both the natural resources and environmental sectors in the short and medium term.
“This is in keeping with the commitment to have a more inclusive and collaborative working relationship with the various associations and other stakeholders, and to continue building on the achievements emanating from the natural resources and environmental sectors. We are instilling within the various sectoral agencies–GGMC, GFC, EPA, EAB, PAC, GGB, Wildlife Management Authority—the “one-team” approach so that the patrimonial canopy can be extended over all of them and the expected synergies can be realised. I believe it would be appropriate to say that the inclusivity we speak of includes the opposition as well; a space at the table has been set,” he said.
Trotman said that it is his aim to ensure that the Ministry of Natural Resources continues to effectively discharge its mandate in relation to the environmental management using the $746M allocated in the budget.
The funds, he said, are necessary to implement the capital and recurrent work programmes of the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Parks Commission, the Protected Areas Commission, and the Wildlife Management Authority.
Speaking on the Protected Areas Commission, he said that apart from funding being received from an agreement with the Government of Germany, the budget makes a financial commitment to the tune of $5M to aid its capacity to oversee the Guyana Protected Areas System. He said the funding would be used to support the provision of office furnishings, information technology and communication equipment (computers, radios, satellite phones) and field patrol transportation (boat and outboard engine).
And as he pointed out that a 2020 target for a “Green Economy” was set for the country, he informed that this year there will be the signing of an agreement between Guyana Goldfields Inc. and the government to establish a “Biodiversity Offset” for the Kaieteur National Park. He said it is the first biodiversity offset project for Guyana and one of the first mining offsets for protected areas globally.
Wildlife conservation and management, he noted, is also catered for to the tune of $12M in this year’s budget. The funds will be used to purchase a vehicle, global positioning systems, computers, office furnishings, printers and filing cabinets to improve the operational efficiency and transportation needs of the Authority.
