Logging company Bai Shan Lin (BSL) continues to add to its forestry holdings in Guyana and available figures show that it now controls 990,000 hectares of forest.
When questioned recently by Stabroek News about whether BSL had been granted more land, President Donald Ramotar said that he did not know if this was true. “I haven’t signed any… whatever Bai Shan Lin has I haven’t signed anything more. I don’t know what is being talked about, I haven’t given Bai Shan Lin anything more,” he said. “I know that we are gonna look at that, that report that was in the press,” he added.
Last year, the Chinese company said that its forestry resources amounted to 960,000 hectares. However, the company was subsequently granted a State Forest Exploratory Permit for 73,015 acres in Region Six. This concession is among three for which the company has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for permission to begin large-scale logging and sawmilling operations.
Bai Shan Lin has announced big plans in various sectors for Guyana but concerns have been raised by some analysts that its primary interest is logs for export with little downstream processing. BSL’s access to key parts of the economy have also raised questions about the regulation of its business by the forestry
