– 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.