Region Ten Chairman Renis Morian has objected to proposed plans by Chinese company Rong-An Inc to undertake large-scale logging in the Berbice area.
“We gon resist it at all levels,” he told Stabroek News yesterday, saying that the company should have approached the Chairman and Regional Democratic Council as a first step.
Rong-An has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental authorisation to undertake large-scale logging in Berbice in an investment pegged at US$20 million. The concession area is in Region Six.
Morian said he knows that the company is also present in Region Ten and pointed out that the Berbice River is contiguous to Region Ten. “I am aware that they are in Region Ten,” he asserted. He said that Lindeners cannot get two acres of land while the company has over 50 000 acres of land.
“As it is right now, we don’t support it,” Morian said while adding that he plans to meet Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman on the issue. Morian said that if he has to take legal action, he would do so.
In an ad in Friday’s Stabroek News, the EPA said that Rong-An Inc has submitted an application for authorisation to undertake large scale Logging and the operation of a portable sawmill within SFEP 02/ 2011, located on the right bank of the Berbice River and left bank of the Corentyne River in Region 6.
This project would entail the felling, extraction of timber and transportation of same to a wharf facility for subsequent barging, grading, construction of roads, skid trails, bridges, culverts, and camps with other ancillary facilities and the operation of a portable sawmill within the concession.
According to the project summary, Rong-An Inc expects to invest US$20 million in the development of the concession of the project and expects to employ an additional 80 persons on receipt of the forest concession. The project is expected to have a life of at least 50 years.
Rong-An Inc. was incorporated in Guyana on September 1, 2006. According to the project summary, the company plans to invest more than US$50 million in Guyana in various sectors including an initial US$20 million in the forestry sector. It currently employs 70 persons.
The company had received a State Forest Exploratory Permit (SFEP) from the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) designated 2/2011 for an area of 57,929 hectares of forest resources in the upper right bank Berbice River.
Rong-An Inc and fellow Chinese company, Baishanlin have been the source of much controversy over their forestry operations here.
