Guyana, Norway still discussing 2012 payment

In the face of deforestation levels that rose above a benchmark set under its forests protection partnership with Norway, Guyana is yet to receive payments for 2012, with discussions continuing on the figure which is expected to be cut.

“Discussions are currently ongoing on the payment for Year 3 (2012). These discussions should be finalized soon,” Minis-ter of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud told Stabroek News in a brief comment recently. Guy-ana’s deforestation figure for 2012 has been confirmed at 0.079%, a figure at which cuts in payments to Guyana under the forests protection partnership with Norway are expected to kick in.

When the initial figures were released last year, Persaud had said that once increased deforestation is confirmed by