THE Barama Company Limited yesterday announced its achievement of Verified Legal Origin (VLO) international certification at a press conference at Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown. The VLO certificate verifies that the timber comes from a source that has legal rights to harvest, pursuant to the laws and regulations of the government of the jurisdiction.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, on behalf of the government and the ministry in particular, congratulated Barama as well as Variety Woods and Greenheart Limited, which also received VLO certification, on being the first two Guyanese companies to gain this achievement.
He noted that Barama is the single largest area to have been certified across the world, noting that it accounts for close to 12 percent of the state forest estate, which is approximately 1.6 million hectares out of a total of 13.5 million hectares.
“So it’s a very large company and we are very happy that the company would have been able to undergo that test, that scrutiny, that survey and the rigours of it and come out as it were on top and being able to get that certificate,” the minister stated.
He emphasized that this certification is testimony to what is taking place in the larger forestry sector. He added that Guyana has been able to withstand threats to the forest estate and continues to be a leader in sustainable forest management.
He related that the sector has also been able to facilitate growth in other extractive industries without compromising the principles and its commitment to sustainable forest management.
Minister Persaud pointed out that Guyana’s forest estate is one that undergoes a lot of reviews and a lot of independent monitoring.
“So what we’re seeing here is not the Government of Guyana saying it or a regulatory body…but what we see here represents the analysis, represents the conclusion of independent international verifier,” he commented.
He further highlighted that a process of independent forest monitoring had started last year and this year that process was very thorough and comprehensive. He advised that a number of external agencies from the United States and elsewhere were involved in the process.
“So we’ve gone through a high level of review, a high level of scrutiny, to ensure that we are compliant in terms of our independent forest monitoring and that we are compliant with the commitment and whatever agreements we have entered into bilaterally, or at a multilateral level, in terms of maintaining our rate of deforestation and also in achieving the principles of sustainable forest management,” he declared.
The minister explained that they have taken a very transparent approach in terms of the utlisation of forest resources and noted that it is disturbing when people who are completely ignorant of the reality want to rush to conclusions.
He urged people to visit the Guyana Forestry Commission’s website where there is a wealth of information that would allow persons to make informed conclusions.
Nevertheless, he encouraged stakeholders to continue with their commitment in upholding the principles of sustainable forest management and to continue to add to the growth of the forestry sector, particularly with an emphasis on value added.
He pointed to the evolution of the industry, noting that a decade ago there were approximately 85 sawmills in Guyana,  but today there are about 172 sawmills in operation with most of them using up-to-date technology.
“If you look in terms of investment, looking at the proposals by a number of companies over the next three to four years, we would have a total investment of close to US$60 million in the forestry sector, to be made by players within the sector and a lot of that would be put in the area of value added…,” he stated.

ROBUST SYSTEMS
Minister Persaud added that a number of international institutions are looking at the systems in place in Guyana to prevent illegal logging, noting that these systems are very robust.
“These systems are world class and they could withstand any international test in this regard…it is something that all of us as Guyanese should be proud of as we seek to ensure that the natural resources of this country are developed and utilized in a manner that is legal and well regulated but also that it serves the various sectors well, and that is our commitment as we move forward,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Barama Company Limited, Mr. Clement Ooi noted that Barama is a company that continues to renew itself after being in existence for 21 years with long term intentions of developing the forestry sector with support from the government.
“We are continuing to look at new ways to widen our product lines and utilize more of the lesser used species with support from the Government of Guyana, specifically, the Forest Product Development and Marketing Council,” he stated.
He pointed out that while most timber companies may be driven towards VLO certification in response to international market requirement, Barama is motivated on the conviction that they are operating at an internationally acceptable level.
“We thought the best way of achieving this objective is to subject ourselves to the rigid scrutiny of an independent auditor, against an internationally accepted scheme. This resulted in our company adopting a step-wise approach policy towards forestry certification from a holistic perspective,” he asserted.
According to Ooi, following the successful audit, the company received VLO certification on November 7, representing the largest single block of tropical forest in the world to be certified under a VLO type of scheme. The audit was done by Rainforest Alliance of the United States.
The CEO emphasized that this accomplishment has extremely positive implications for the forestry sector and the country as a whole.
“Guyana has once again placed itself on the world map for having internationally accepted forestry practices. This has a very positive impact for Guyana as it continues to deliver on its forest legality commitments, Sustainable Forest management practices and the LCDS at the global scale,” he stated.

PULL QUOTE:
‘…a number of international institutions are looking at the systems in place in Guyana to prevent illegal logging… and these systems are world class and they could withstand any international test in this regard. It is something that all of us as Guyanese should be proud of as we seek to ensure that the natural resources of this country are developed and utilized in a manner that is legal and well regulated but also that it serves the various sectors well, and that is our commitment as we move forward.’ – Minister Robert Persaud