I wonder how many of the Chinese are registered to vote?

This man james singhs eh - bai shan lin can invetorise the forest, they can do a business plan and must pass the EPA test.

They can tek out one and two three fuh access the area but not mass scale reaping.

What the next video.

if this is not whole sale raping of the forest by bai shan lin, what is?

This is what all them PPP crabs on gni support, whole sale raping of Guyana.

The PNC did it too.

Hoyte sell Demerara Timbers to Lord Beavebrock.

These people bai shan lin are paying no royalties for this rape and plus even the laborers are imported from china, no wuk for the Guyanese.

They have a publication on line for a number of years now stating exactly that.

These fellows are just jokers. They cannot tell us the company is not allowed to extract logs and the above is clearly about log extraction on a massive scale.

They have a full page ad in Kaiteurnews today trying to wriggle out of this obscene pillage of our national forest under their watch.

Norway peeved..

Amazing...the Guyanese deny the Chinese are shipping logs illegally when everywhere that is what they do. I am perusing the internet for stories of good corporate behavior in the Chinese logging industry and there is none.

It is a mass of crooked deals, disrespect for local laws and brazen pillage.

the chinese trading fried rice with the ppp for logs

The PPP simply does not care except that their pockets are lined and they can raise their children in wealth in the west. Let the Guyanese eat cake!

you getting cake is there any milk 

You can register 500,000 of them. It doesn't matter. Who can tell the difference? They all look alike.

Hear the facts from Sharma solomon

Bai shan lin, destroy the lives of the people of Region 10, the farm to market road was completely destroyed by bai shan lin.

Region 10 needs to stop these trucks anyhow anyway. Not until the Chinese can be accountable and stakeholders in the society can verify every log is counted and paid for.

I care passionately for the environment and hope that he PPP take action against violations of any signed agreement. It is also eye pass that the roads are being destroyed.

Force this unethical company to fix the roads or stop using them.

Let us all unite regardless of political stripe to condemn this company.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Behave your self and stop painting everyone with the same brush. I am a strong defender of the Environment and preservation of Native Reserves and I have spoken out.

Yuji

The three Chinese officials who are in Guyana overseeing the extraction of logs who were accused of skirting the laws of Cameroon and damaging the environment  need to get the hell out. The government need to identify them and ask them to leave.

Bai Shan Jagdeo  • http://www.stabroeknews.com/20...et-processing-plant/

http://www.redd-monitor.org/wo...s/2013/04/cwz-en.pdf

You passed this document on to me almost two years ago. I am sorry I did not post it because I thought the government knew and was taking steps on our behalf to secure our necessary financial. Instead they were in with the Chinese on the grand larceny.

Even without thieving the are in for a grand profit margin. Note the last line. The think they can get the right for permanent forest management rights ie Guyana forest is their to pillage in perpetuity per this crooked PPP

Timber Processing is the priority and encouraged Industry in Guyana!!! Read the last line above also. They see us also as an immigration pathway! No wonder so many of these crooks in the PPP are wallowing in cash....

link

Ban Shai lin does not hire local workers But this is not news. Chinese company in general do not hire local workers. They always have and excuse as to why not and weak governments like the PPP accept the paltry excuse because they need the facade of  development not to mention the usual kickbacks

Even back then, we knew that there was something fishy going on but we did not know the true extent. As it turned out, it's just another crooked project that the PPP are involved in.

Mr Persaud and Mr Ally and Mr Jagdeo doing anything for kick back

Tracking website shows significant exotic wood exports by Bai Shan Lin

- without proper declaration

More information continues to surface about the operations of Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin, in Guyana. Several questions which have now arisen include whether Bai Shan Lin, among other companies, is exporting rare wood such as Locust and Wamara, without declaration to the Customs Administration. Several sources within the Ministry of Natural Resources have said that the Wamara business is among the most lucrative business ventures that Bai Shan Lin is currently involved in.  This newspaper was also told that the company has essentially infiltrated the market, since Guyana is providing the precious raw material at giveaway prices. This newspaper was also told that low level ministry workers along with forestry officials who are tasked with monitoring the export of timber aren’t able to complete their task. Some have expressed that since Bai Shan Lin along with several others entered into joint ventures, it has been “almost impossible” to have a tab on how much timber is being exported from Guyana. An online search using Worldwide Export Tracker, Panjiva, provides some perspective.  Panjiva, a New York-based company, is the first and only online information source designed to provide a level of transparency into overseas suppliers. Leveraging this type of trade data from suppliers, Panjiva is able to produce details of trends within sectors. Information published by Panjiva has been used by news websites such as FT.com and CNNMoney.com, where it has been described as “innovative and revolutionary”. Panjiva was started by Josh Green (CEO) and Jim Psota (CTO) in 2006. The website shows that Bai Shan Lin started exporting logs from Guyana since 2008. According to Panjiva, Bai Shan Lin Investments on December 26, 2008 exported 74,095 pieces of “SawnTimber (Mixed Floor Boards).   In 2009 Bai Shan Lin on July 9th exported Locust Sawn Timber. The company exported a total of 558 pieces from Guyana. The next month, Bai Shan Lin exported six containers with approximately 30,439 pieces of Greenheart Sawn Timber. In October 2009, the company exported Wamara Sawn Timber. A total of 5303 pieces were sent out in two containers. In September of 2010, Bai Shan Lin again sent out six more containers of mixed timber. It was explained that the company had exported a variety of exquisite timber. The pieces amount to 50,829. Further records would show that in December 2012 Bai Shan Lin exported 6771 pieces of Locust Sawn Timber. A few months later, the company in July, exported 24,136 pieces of mixed timber in seven containers. The online tracker updates daily and is expected to provide more information on such exports. Over the weekend, the (EPA) denied ever giving the Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. any permission to do logging. However, a senior official at the EPA said that as it stands right now, Bai Shan Lin is having meetings with them regarding “scoping”. It was explained that “scoping” is another aspect of the Environmental Assessment which Bai Shan Lin needs to complete. The official further told Kaieteur News that the EPA, once everything is done in accordance with the formal requirements, would grant Bai Shan Lin an “Environmental Authorization Permit” which gives the right to log and harvest timber. But the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has denied that Bai Shan Lin was logging without a licence. Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. has teamed up with four others in joint ventures to export billions of dollars in timber monthly.

Bai Shan Lin logging scandal deepens…Company halts massive E’bo operations

… but busy cutting new roads to Waini River

Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin’s operations in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, may have evoked widespread public

Chairman of Chinese-owned, Bai Shan Lin, Chu Wenze

anger and disbelief over the magnitude, but there are indications now that those operations pale in comparison to what is happening in the Kwebanna, Waini area in Region One, Essequibo. Kaieteur News, as part of its investigations into the scope of the company’s operations, flew into Region One (Barima/Waini) this week and found that the company has halted its logging operations there in the face of increasing scrutiny of its Upper Berbice operations. The extent of the Essequibo activities reveals that the scope of logging operations by the company is way larger than Guyanese were initially led to believe. For several days now, several trucks, laden with massive logs have been sitting on the roadside in the dense jungle in the Kwebanna area. The logs, seen by Kaieteur News, have already been certified with stamps and seals of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). In Essequibo, the company has been logging various species of wood and selling what it is not exporting to Barama Company Limited, an establishment which has an operation based along the Essequibo River. Bai Shan Lin has also cut miles upon miles of road leading to the Waini River, and is looking to go even further. There was a huge fleet of heavy-duty vehicles – some 35 bulldozers, 10 excavators, loaders and about 40 dump trucks – present on several sections of the road being built. Equipment was also present at various locations near loam pits, working to extract material for the road. At several locations along the winding road, massive logs were seemingly left abandoned. This mimicked the state of play in Region Ten near the communities of Kwakwani, Ituni and Linden, in Region 10, where logs were strategically left waiting for pickup. It is unclear why the company has stalled operations in Region One. At one location, several trucks were parked next to each other, but no one was in sight. Among the prized species of logs left unattended were some measuring as much as four feet in diameter and more than 70 feet in length. Included among them in great number was the high-valued Purpleheart. It is clear that Bai Shan Lin is serious about its investments as evidenced by the scores of vehicles and other heavy equipment in the area. Following investigations and reports by Kaieteur News over the past week on Bai Shan Lin’s operations, the GFC, headed by Commissioner James Singh, and its governing authority, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, led by Minister Robert Persaud, have launched an aggressive public relations campaign to defend the company. Already, questions are being raised as to why state agencies would push badly needed resources, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars already, into defending what essentially is a private company, more so a foreign one. Opposition Parliamentary parties have already accused senior government officials of colluding with the company to hide the true nature of its operations, and taking kickbacks which have caused them to shut up in the face of what could be glaring violations of Guyanese law. Bai Shan Lin has been boasting of having access to close to a million hectares of rainforest in Guyana as part of its mega investment plans. But Minister Persaud had said that the information was false and called on Bai Shan Lin to retract its claims. The company never did and Persaud never demanded that it did. On July 14, Persaud told the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources that the company only has access to 640,000 hectares of forest, with the majority being for various studies. Regarding forests to which the company has access, Commissioner of Forests, James Singh, said that Bai Shan Lin has two state forest permits. He said such permits are issued for a period of three years, and during that time the company has to do an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, along with a forest inventory. In addition, Singh said the company has to develop a business plan. Singh said that it is only if these documents receive a favourable review by the Forestry Commission’s Board, that the company can be issued with a Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) that would allow it to extract trees. The two state forest permits encompass three proposed forestry concession sites. Apart from this, the company was said to be involved in joint ventures with four local companies through which it has access to some 280,000 hectares of forest from which it can harvest timber for export. Those joint ventures are with Sherwood Forests, Haimorakabra Logging, Puruni Woods, and Kwebanna Wood Products. The logging activities of Bai Shan Lin would take on extreme significance because of the fact that company has not yet moved into its promised value-added processing phase. Guyana has actively been pursuing a reduction of log exports in favour of value-added operations, which would give the country more revenue and also provide more job opportunities for Guyanese. However, figures provided have shown a major increase in log exports, especially for the first half of this year. And the increase is being blamed on the aggressive logging activities of Bai Shan Lin and other foreign operators.

ECHO protests outside Ministry over Bai Shan Lin operations

The Environmental Community Health Organization (ECHO) yesterday commenced the first in a series of events to raise public awareness about good governance in relation to the country’s natural environment, in the form of a picket exercise outside the Head Office of the Natural Resources Ministry at Brickdam.

ECHO demonstrators opposite the Natural Resources Ministry yesterday. At extreme left is Director Royston King

During the protest, members of the body demanded that citizens be told the “truth” about the logging agreements made with Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin. The company is exporting large quantities of expensive logs and reportedly does not have the requisite documentation to do so. It is alleged that the company has devised a way to conduct exports through joint ventures with legitimate companies, while according to information; it is primarily permitted to conduct exploration. The Government is being accused of facilitating the activities of Bai Shan Lin because it came out in defence of its forest management policies and claimed that the company was just exporting small amounts of lumber. However, investigations by this newspaper revealed that large-scale logging activities are being conducted in the interior. ECHO members also called on the Ministry to be transparent and accountable to the people when handling the nation’s natural environment. Yesterday’s demonstrators called for Minister Robert Persaud – and by extension the Government – to step down if they cannot be responsible with the country’s resources and in this case, offer a plausible explanation of what the Chinese company and others like it, are doing in Guyana’s forested areas. ECHO’s Executive Director Royston King told the media that the organization is “conducting peaceful picket exercises in a bid to get a response from the government.” He explained that the organization is of the view that the log mining activity of the Chinese is causing serious environmental risks for the country, especially for the native communities that depend heavily on nature. “We want the Minister to tell us what is happening, specifically with Bai Shan Lin.” King said that the company seems to be cutting the forest resources capriciously, without considering the health and environmental effects. He said that ECHO is seeking to raise public awareness about the value of the country’s natural resources, their importance and the need to protect them. King said that the public needs to be informed and also understand the regulations, laws and rules associated with the protection of the nation’s natural resources. He stated also that transparency and accountability should also be a major factor in the accessing of natural resources since, like other sectors, it can be an avenue for corrupt practices if unmonitored. “We are asking for transparency and accountability, not only from the government, but also from these companies given concessions to extract. They should be accountable and accept their social responsibilities which speak to ethics and good environmental practices.” The ECHO Director said that the body will be hosting a special public forum at 5:15pm today at the National Library to speak on the ongoing issue. King said the body continues to engage its local and international partners on the matter and expects that speakers from international organizations such as PAHO and the UNDP will be available to speak on the topic of natural resources and good governance. King said the organization also plans to meet with persons in interior communities to make them aware of the problems they face. They are also seeking to mobilize these persons to stand up for the protection their resources. Georgetown Mayor, Hamilton Green, who took part in yesterday’s demonstration, said he is in solidarity with ECHO, given the revelations by this newspaper about widespread, large-scale logging activities in the interior. Green said that the current activities involving the Chinese logging company and the Government, are destroying future generations and citizens need to speak out. “These activities show a total disregard for citizens of all races, colour and creed. While it is unclear who is actually benefiting from these activities, it is an assault on the livelihood of the indigenous people, a disdain for African slaves who bought lands from slave masters and disrespect to the children of indentured labourers to allow “aliens” to rape the natural resources as they are doing.” ECHO has requested that the Government, for the sake of clarity, publish all relevant documentation regarding the extent of Bai Shan Lin’s authorization in Guyana.

Bai Shan Lin logging scandal deepens…Company halts massive E’bo operations

… but busy cutting new roads to Waini River

Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin’s operations in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, may have evoked widespread public

Chairman of Chinese-owned, Bai Shan Lin, Chu Wenze

anger and disbelief over the magnitude, but there are indications now that those operations pale in comparison to what is happening in the Kwebanna, Waini area in Region One, Essequibo. Kaieteur News, as part of its investigations into the scope of the company’s operations, flew into Region One (Barima/Waini) this week and found that the company has halted its logging operations there in the face of increasing scrutiny of its Upper Berbice operations. The extent of the Essequibo activities reveals that the scope of logging operations by the company is way larger than Guyanese were initially led to believe. For several days now, several trucks, laden with massive logs have been sitting on the roadside in the dense jungle in the Kwebanna area. The logs, seen by Kaieteur News, have already been certified with stamps and seals of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). In Essequibo, the company has been logging various species of wood and selling what it is not exporting to Barama Company Limited, an establishment which has an operation based along the Essequibo River. Bai Shan Lin has also cut miles upon miles of road leading to the Waini River, and is looking to go even further. There was a huge fleet of heavy-duty vehicles – some 35 bulldozers, 10 excavators, loaders and about 40 dump trucks – present on several sections of the road being built. Equipment was also present at various locations near loam pits, working to extract material for the road. At several locations along the winding road, massive logs were seemingly left abandoned. This mimicked the state of play in Region Ten near the communities of Kwakwani, Ituni and Linden, in Region 10, where logs were strategically left waiting for pickup. It is unclear why the company has stalled operations in Region One. At one location, several trucks were parked next to each other, but no one was in sight. Among the prized species of logs left unattended were some measuring as much as four feet in diameter and more than 70 feet in length. Included among them in great number was the high-valued Purpleheart. It is clear that Bai Shan Lin is serious about its investments as evidenced by the scores of vehicles and other heavy equipment in the area. Following investigations and reports by Kaieteur News over the past week on Bai Shan Lin’s operations, the GFC, headed by Commissioner James Singh, and its governing authority, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, led by Minister Robert Persaud, have launched an aggressive public relations campaign to defend the company. Already, questions are being raised as to why state agencies would push badly needed resources, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars already, into defending what essentially is a private company, more so a foreign one. Opposition Parliamentary parties have already accused senior government officials of colluding with the company to hide the true nature of its operations, and taking kickbacks which have caused them to shut up in the face of what could be glaring violations of Guyanese law. Bai Shan Lin has been boasting of having access to close to a million hectares of rainforest in Guyana as part of its mega investment plans. But Minister Persaud had said that the information was false and called on Bai Shan Lin to retract its claims. The company never did and Persaud never demanded that it did. On July 14, Persaud told the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources that the company only has access to 640,000 hectares of forest, with the majority being for various studies. Regarding forests to which the company has access, Commissioner of Forests, James Singh, said that Bai Shan Lin has two state forest permits. He said such permits are issued for a period of three years, and during that time the company has to do an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, along with a forest inventory. In addition, Singh said the company has to develop a business plan. Singh said that it is only if these documents receive a favourable review by the Forestry Commission’s Board, that the company can be issued with a Timber Sales Agreement (TSA) that would allow it to extract trees. The two state forest permits encompass three proposed forestry concession sites. Apart from this, the company was said to be involved in joint ventures with four local companies through which it has access to some 280,000 hectares of forest from which it can harvest timber for export. Those joint ventures are with Sherwood Forests, Haimorakabra Logging, Puruni Woods, and Kwebanna Wood Products. The logging activities of Bai Shan Lin would take on extreme significance because of the fact that company has not yet moved into its promised value-added processing phase. Guyana has actively been pursuing a reduction of log exports in favour of value-added operations, which would give the country more revenue and also provide more job opportunities for Guyanese. However, figures provided have shown a major increase in log exports, especially for the first half of this year. And the increase is being blamed on the aggressive logging activities of Bai Shan Lin and other foreign operators.

Tracking website shows significant exotic wood exports by Bai Shan Lin

- without proper declaration

More information continues to surface about the operations of Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin, in Guyana. Several questions which have now arisen include whether Bai Shan Lin, among other companies, is exporting rare wood such as Locust and Wamara, without declaration to the Customs Administration. Several sources within the Ministry of Natural Resources have said that the Wamara business is among the most lucrative business ventures that Bai Shan Lin is currently involved in.  This newspaper was also told that the company has essentially infiltrated the market, since Guyana is providing the precious raw material at giveaway prices. This newspaper was also told that low level ministry workers along with forestry officials who are tasked with monitoring the export of timber aren’t able to complete their task. Some have expressed that since Bai Shan Lin along with several others entered into joint ventures, it has been “almost impossible” to have a tab on how much timber is being exported from Guyana. An online search using Worldwide Export Tracker, Panjiva, provides some perspective.  Panjiva, a New York-based company, is the first and only online information source designed to provide a level of transparency into overseas suppliers. Leveraging this type of trade data from suppliers, Panjiva is able to produce details of trends within sectors. Information published by Panjiva has been used by news websites such as FT.com and CNNMoney.com, where it has been described as “innovative and revolutionary”. Panjiva was started by Josh Green (CEO) and Jim Psota (CTO) in 2006. The website shows that Bai Shan Lin started exporting logs from Guyana since 2008. According to Panjiva, Bai Shan Lin Investments on December 26, 2008 exported 74,095 pieces of “SawnTimber (Mixed Floor Boards).   In 2009 Bai Shan Lin on July 9th exported Locust Sawn Timber. The company exported a total of 558 pieces from Guyana. The next month, Bai Shan Lin exported six containers with approximately 30,439 pieces of Greenheart Sawn Timber. In October 2009, the company exported Wamara Sawn Timber. A total of 5303 pieces were sent out in two containers. In September of 2010, Bai Shan Lin again sent out six more containers of mixed timber. It was explained that the company had exported a variety of exquisite timber. The pieces amount to 50,829. Further records would show that in December 2012 Bai Shan Lin exported 6771 pieces of Locust Sawn Timber. A few months later, the company in July, exported 24,136 pieces of mixed timber in seven containers. The online tracker updates daily and is expected to provide more information on such exports. Over the weekend, the (EPA) denied ever giving the Chinese company, Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. any permission to do logging. However, a senior official at the EPA said that as it stands right now, Bai Shan Lin is having meetings with them regarding “scoping”. It was explained that “scoping” is another aspect of the Environmental Assessment which Bai Shan Lin needs to complete. The official further told Kaieteur News that the EPA, once everything is done in accordance with the formal requirements, would grant Bai Shan Lin an “Environmental Authorization Permit” which gives the right to log and harvest timber. But the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has denied that Bai Shan Lin was logging without a licence. Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. has teamed up with four others in joint ventures to export billions of dollars in timber monthly.

Bai Shan Lin International Forest Development Inc. has teamed up with four others in joint ventures to export billions of dollars in timber monthly.

Can anyone says how much containers of Lumbers has been exported for the year and what amount of dollars has been collected from those exports?

Manufacturers want full disclosure on Bai Shan Lin

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is expected to soon request that Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud disclose all information regarding the local operations of Bai Shan Lin.

Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud

This follows an emergency meeting the Association called Monday in the face of a growing controversy regarding the Chinese company’s operations. A letter which outlined the association’s concerns was dispatched to members for their comments before it is sent to Persaud. The letter is signed by GMSA President Clinton Williams. Kaieteur News was told that during the emergency meeting members mandated Williams to acquire documentation about several aspects of the operations of Bai Shan Lin. This newspaper understands that members are trying to get their hands on copies of licences and permits to engage in forestry operations in Guyana, investment agreements, Tax Holiday approvals, Duty-free concessions, and agreements which allow the company to export log. The manufacturers also want to see documents that the company and the authorities have agreed to for the employment of Guyanese personnel. According to reports, members have said that they are aware that Bai Shan Lin has entered into private agreements with existing local and foreign forest products concessionaires.  The letter stated that while the ministry may not be privy to the agreements, they would go a long way, together with the documents they requested, towards helping the Association determine the way forward for the country’s forest/wood products manufacturers. In this regard, members said that they would appreciate receiving the relevant particulars of all agreements entered into by the Company or any of its related companies with the holders of licences or permits from the Minister. It was noted that access to these documents will allow the GMSA to determine that the agreements are iron-clad and are not in violation of any of the nation’s laws and regulations, including environmental protection Secondly, it would show that they do not contain loop holes through which the investor could dodge their business and social responsibilities to the people of Guyana. Moreover the release of documents would show that the agreements do not provide the wherewithal for the investor to act in a manner that goes against the tenets of Guyana’s responsibilities to the international REDD+ programme or our Low Carbon Development Strategy, the letter states. The GMSA, in crafting the letter to Persaud, said it wants to ensure that the country’s reputation as a destination of Foreign Direct Investment is not harmed by any unjustified criticisms of any specific investment or group of investments. The GMSA will be meeting again on Monday to further consider the matter and the Association hopes it can have the requested documents by then.

   Dem boys discussing low "carbon" to be deposited in a bank account in china right here in this picture. Thank you sah for the donation.

Exotic, pricey wood species being shipped out of Guyana

As the controversy surrounding Bai Shan Lin’s operations in Guyana continues, the main question is why the company is exporting large quantities of exotic woods such as “Locust and Wamara”.

Conservationists have been arguing that countries where these “exotic” woods are found should not export large quantities since they are considered an “invasive species”.

Invasive species, also called invasive exotics or simply exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions.

Sometimes called Guyana Rosewood for its lustrous, dense, and colour, Wamara technically isn’t true rosewood (Dalbergia genus), but is in what could arguably be viewed as one of the most under-appreciated genera of tropical hardwoods: Swartzia.

This genus is filled with a variety of colorful and striped woods, most of which remain obscure. It is considered an “exotic wood” in many parts of the world.

The Locust tree is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas.

Pricing for the species…

Bai Shan Lin on July 2009, last, exported 558 pieces of Locust Sawn Timber from Guyana.

In October 2009, the company also exported Wamara Sawn Timber. A total of 5303 pieces were sent out in two containers. World Market demand for these two species of wood could fetch a heavy price.  The “Wamara” which is being sold by the cubic meter can fetch a price of between US$200 and US$600.

Kaieteur News was told that the “Wamara” logs can be sold from between US$260 and US$290. Depending on the demand, the prices can triple, making it one of the best selling timber products being exported.
It is believed that Bai Shan Lin and other logging companies have not been declaring “Wamara and Locust” when exporting. Rather they have been passing this off as mixed hard woods.

Several sources within the Ministry of Natural Resources have said that the Wamara business is among the most lucrative business ventures that Bai Shan Lin is currently involved in.

This newspaper was also told that low level ministry workers along with forestry officials who are tasked with monitoring the export of timber are not able to complete their task. It is being reported that since Bai Shan Lin along with several others entered into joint ventures, it has been “almost impossible” to keep a tab on how much timber is being exported from Guyana.

Bai Shan Lin, a Chinese logging company, has big plans for Guyana: forest concessions covering 960,000 hectares; a 20-kilometre river gold mining concession; a 500-hectare Guyana-China Timber Industry Economic and Trading Cooperation Park and a 160-hectare real estate development.
Despite the scale of the planned operations, Bai Shan Lin’s agreements with the government of

Guyana are not public and there has been no discussion in the National Assembly about the company’s plans.

In Guyana, it is illegal for a logging company to take over another logging company’s operation, unless officially authorised by the President. Yet Bai Shan Lin has managed to enter into large scale joint ventures with a number of locals.