–Minister Bharrat urges Region Two miners and loggers

MINISTER of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat has urged loggers and miners from Region Two to ramp up production, assuring them that markets for both lumber and gold are readily available.
During an engagement with stakeholders, he drew attention to the decline in lumber export levels, because most of the production is going towards local consumption. However, he reminded loggers that exports provide a valuable source of foreign currency.

Despite the high environmental standards in the area of forestry, Bharrat said that logging activities have not yet met the allowable production targets. He assured stakeholders that there is room for logging to proceed without violating any production agreements.
The minister related that while some loggers are actively working their concessions, others are not utilising their allocated resources.

He encouraged stakeholders to invest in their operations, and make full use of the available resources to sustain their livelihoods. Bharrat stressed that there are numerous opportunities for the Essequibo community, particularly in the forestry and oil-and-gas sectors.
He reminded stakeholders that the ministry grants licences for resource utilisation, which do not equate to ownership. The lands remain State property, and the Forestry Commission will review concessions that are not being utilised for production.

Edward Goberdhan, Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), supported the minister’s remarks, stating that discussions focused on the challenges faced by stakeholders, particularly the necessity to enhance production within forestry concessions.
Goberdhan emphasised the importance of the forestry industry, which supports 25,000 direct jobs, and the need for collaboration between the Forestry Commission and the Guyana Manufacturing Corporation (GMC) to address national challenges effectively.

He called for greater focus on downstream activities and value-added production, which have seen growth over the past decade.
Currently, log exports are limited, but there is a trend towards promoting local suppliers, including those who specialise in ‘prefab’ furniture and other high-quality products.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining high standards in sawmill production, focusing on quality, reliability, and adherence to industry codes of practice, ensuring that both domestic and international markets receive top-quality lumber and wood products.
Businessman and a miner, Roopan Ramotar contributed to the discussion by suggesting that there could be improvements, once the road from Essequibo to Buck Hall is upgraded.