– Agri. ministry
THE Ministry of Agriculture says the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has no responsibility for the packing of forest produce into containers, or the examining and sealing of any container destined for export.

Further, it says the GFC is actively collaborating with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the relevant Jamaican and other counterparts to identify and bring the perpetrators responsible for this criminal act to justice.

In a release sent to media houses yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture said the GFC notes with great concern, an article appearing in the Stabroek News of Saturday, March 19, 2011, captioned ‘Cocaine container wasn’t on shipping record – cleared by forestry, not customs’.

“This information is not only damaging; it is also erroneous, misleading and misrepresents the role of the GFC in the exportation of forest produce. It further casts a bad perception on, and has the potential to adversely affect the continued positive development of the forestry sector,” the Ministry of Agriculture said in its release.

“For the sake of clarity therefore, the GFC states publicly that it has absolutely no role in the “clearing,” the packing of, or even the processing of containers for export. We wish to place again on record that our job (as it relates to the export of forest produce) is to ensure that the forest produce destined for export has been properly graded and satisfies all of the other export procedures…,” the release said.

“The GFC investigations to date have been very revealing. However, in the interest of allowing the relevant Agencies to properly and impartially execute their mandate, we have, and will continue to furnish these Agencies with our findings,” the GFC stated, through the Ministry of Agriculture.

“Suffice it to say that the GFC has Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to deal with the exportation of forest produce (as outlined) and these procedures were accurately complied with,” the release added

GFC EXPORT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES:

1.    All exporters must be in possession of a valid timber dealer
license, normally referred to as an export license; or a sawmill license.
These licenses are issued and renewed on an annual basis by the GFC.
2.    Exporters desirous of exporting forest produce from Guyana must
first apply to export forest produce via completion of an “Application for
Export of Forest Produce”.
3.    The Exporter then applies for a Timber Marketing Certificate (TMC).
All produce to be exported must first be graded by a GFC licensed
independent grader in accordance with the Guyana Grading Rules for Hardwood,
Third Edition, 2002. (The grader will put his “hammer” mark on the produce
and complete the relevant sections of the Timber Marketing Certificate
(TMC).
4.    Once the GFC is in receipt of the TMC application and is informed
that the produce has been graded; a GFC Grading Inspector does a 100 %
verification of the grades assigned by the independent grader.
5.    The GFC requires 48 hours notice to do this verification of grading.

6.    If the GFC Grading Inspector is satisfied that the forest produce
meets the necessary quality standards, the GFC Grading inspector then
affixes his/her brand and also completes the relevant sections of the TMC.
7.    The TMC is then issued.
8.    The Exporter then applies for an Export Certificate (EC). This EC is
prepared by the Exporter and is for products already inspected and certified
by the GFC. Note  the EC is only issued after a TMC.
9.    The Exporter then completes the Customs declaration (C72) and  other
forms required by Customs and Trade Administration (CTA) and attaches the
TMC, commercial invoice and  timber export certificate
10.    The commercial invoice would state the commercial value and other
pertinent details of the shipment. (Commercial invoice)
11.    The GFC will stamp the C72 form at the back (4 copies) with a stamp
marked “Approved for Shipment” and two officers will sign as authorizing the
export of that particular batch – (GFC Authorizing Stamp)
12.    The export certificate is also stamped with a stamp marked “Approved
for Export” and initialed by one or both officers who signed the C72 custom
document – (GFC Export Certificate Stamp)
13.    The Exporter is then required to pay an export commission to the GFC
based on the value of the produce (calculated as a percentage of the
commercial value). Value added products such as kiln dried lumber do not
attract this fee.
14.    This complete set of authorized documents is then forwarded to CTA
by the Exporter. The Exporter is therefore only authorized to export the
produce approved on the export certificate and commercial invoice.
15.    The CTA process then takes over from here, with the container being
ultimately examined and sealed by the CTA.