GUYANA – Vincent Henry, Member of Parliament (MP) and leader of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), released a statement yesterday addressing the issue of carbon credit payments to the Indigenous communities in Guyana. Henry pointed out that the current approach taken by the government in selling carbon credits and disbursing payments is not well-received by the Indigenous communities.
According to Henry, the Indigenous Peoples, while appreciative of their carbon credits becoming marketable, feel slighted by the government’s strategy to handle the sales. They view the 15 percent of the Carbon Credit funds given to them not as a contribution, but rather as payment from the sale of their own carbon credits.
Adding to their dissatisfaction, Henry said, is the fact that the village general meetings of the Indigenous Peoples, the decision-making bodies as per the Amerindian Act of 2006, did not have the final say in the sales and allocation of the remunerations.
In light of these issues, the Guyana Action Party is urging the government to reconsider the current process. GAP is pushing for Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) to be practiced by the Indigenous Peoples. “The moneys from the sale of Indigenous-owned Carbon Credits should be paid directly to them through their legally established institutions and systems,” Henry insisted.
The GAP leader called for the development of broad-based guidelines and checks in collaboration with the communities. These guidelines would ensure that the funds received from the carbon credit sales are properly used for developmental projects that support and promote the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
