Alliance for Change (AFC) Vice Chairman and Member of Parliament (MP) Ricky Ramsaroop is calling on the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) to desist from threatening truck drivers, urging, instead, an approach to constructive engagement.
The AFC was referring to an article published in Kaieteur News on April 11, 2024 that reported the GFC is demanding trucks carrying load beyond weight capacity, persons sitting on the lumber and in the tray of the trucks to cease the practice because these represent violations of the law. A warming was issued by the Commission that non-compliance will not be tolerated and violators “will be dealt with the full force of the law.” The AFC believes this is a reckless threat and the commission has not examined the issue clearly but rather is taking a yard stick approach to the matter.
According to Ramsaroop, who shadows forestry and mining, truck drivers are hired to do a job, the persons loading the truck is the forestry concession holders who determines the load capacity.
He said “the SFA holders will take into consideration the number of cubic meters of logs to be carried or lumber to be carried. It must be noted however, that the maximum load capacity of one truck is 30 cubic meters that is for the HOWO as shown in the picture and the Scammel brand and an average load for the other models of trucks is 25 cubic meters per load.”
Another factor that the GFC missed is the cost to transport timber from the forest which in most cases is more than half of the expense on a given load, the MP said. “For example, if you transport 30 cubic meters of green heart logs from the 14 miles Isanno district in Region # 7, it will cost the SFA holder $600,000/ truck load. The standard price you will get for green heart at this time is 40,000 per cubic on the highway on an average, some companies pay less.
“This means the sales on this load will be $1,200,000. Other expenses such as loading, extraction, loans, labour cost, rations, fuel, and lubricant from the remaining 600k. So, if we are to use the arguments that trucks are overloaded and reduce it to 20 cubic meters for which is a container load, automatically your cost for trucking alone gone to ¾ of the expense.”
The party further advised, the less cubic meter you load on a truck the higher your transport cost which means less profit.
It is the AFC’s position, considering all factor, the GFC cannot jump and make a threat, without understanding the issues and struggles of a SFA holder or truck drivers in this case.
The Party said the sector has seen a downward trajectory since the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government took office and the sector has been taking a hit without any compensation from the government. It has taken hit from “the pandemic, flooding, drought, recent treat from Venezuela, labour shortage due to 10 days workers and the oil and gas sector, and, here again we adding another threat.”
The AFC said it understands the $300 million pledges by government with a $600 million from Demerara Bank but is querying how many of the 450 SFA operators benefited …. “the figure is 11 as stated in the budget speech by the senior finance minister.”
If the government have problems with road, then they need to build stronger and better-quality roads so that it will not hinder productivity, he argued. “Because at the end of the year they will blame you for the poor performance.”
The party has since called on the Forestry Commission to engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders to address any grievances or concerns that may exist within the industry. “Collaboration and transparency are essential in promoting sustainable forestry practices and fostering a conducive environment for all stakeholders.”
AFC said it remains committed to advocating for a forestry sector that operates with integrity, accountability, and respect for the rights of all individuals involved. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and work towards ensuring that justice is served, Ramsaroop said.
