Guyana is to help St. Vincent with reforestation

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced from Georgetown this week, where he is on a four-day official visit.

Kingstown is buying wooden houses from Guyana to replace those destroyed by the April 2021 eruption of La Soufriere volcano.

Speaking on NBC Radio, Gonsalves said that the timber industry in Guyana is well regulated.

“Guyana has a very good, regulated forestry programme,” he said.

He said that during the trip, he is “pushing things and ensuring that they reach at the highest level” and he and the Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali have agreed on the reforestation programme.

“And we’re going to have good cooperation with Guyana to help us with our reforestation, the forestry generally and … get everybody involved because the forest helps us breathe,” Gonsalves said.

SVG’s Deputy Prime Minister, Montgomery Daniel, who was on the same radio programme as Gonsalves, said Guyana is very strong on forest management because it wants to make sure that it maintains its carbon credits.

Gonsalves said:

“In our part of the world, the English-speaking Caribbean, they have tremendous technical skills. And of course, as you know, with the previous Colombian government, we have worked out an agreement for them to be involved then COVID, the volcanic eruption, but you still also work with the Columbians but I’m just making sure that we have our Guyanese brothers and sisters involved.”