Guyana’s timber industry being prepared to access EU market

Rajnarine Singh hands over Strategic plan to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.

The Forest Products Development and Marketing Council (FPDMC) at its final Board Meeting for the year 2014 presented a new five- year strategic plan for the council to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.
According to a GINA News Bulletin, Minister Persaud emphasised to the Board and staff of the FPDMC of the need for the private sector in the timber industry to move in the direction of value added timber products and expressed hope that the strategic plan is geared to fulfill this requirement.
Further, Executive Director of the council, Rajnarine Singh in his remarks to the gathering pointed out that the first five year strategic plan covered the period of 2009-2014, which the council used to create its yearly work plan was fully exhausted. For this reason a new strategic 5 year plan was formulated.

iNews understands that the new strategic plan is geared to prepare the industry for entry into the lucrative European Market following the completion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement which is currently being negotiated under Guyana EU FLEGT negotiations.