Page 17 - GMSA 2017 AR Print for flip1

GOVERNANCE & ADVOCACY
the team included Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Raphael establishment of a revolving fund which will allow stakeholders
Trotman, Minister of Business, Hon. Dominic Gaskin, Minister of to modernise and retool their production processes and refurbish
Public Infrastructure, Hon. David Patterson, Director of Budget, aging capital stock.
Sonya Roopnauth and Head of Projects, Tarachand Balgobin
of the Ministry of Finance and representatives of the Guyana Additionally, Government committed to re-examining the impact
Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Forestry Commission of imported substitutes on the competitiveness and viability of
(GFC). the local market by relooking at existing tariffs and concessions.
The Inter- Ministerial Round Table will be held thrice annually.
The GMSA presented a comprehensive range of issues facing
the sector and highlighted as most critical, the impact of VAT on
manufacturing inputs, equipment and products; the impact of
imported substitutes and the need for supporting mechanisms;
the UK Environment Agency Greenheart Restriction; and fiscal
supporting mechanisms. The Government Ministers expanded
the discussion to include marketing and quality assurance,
integrated land use planning, training and capacity building,
forest inventory, ecosystem services, certification and the
utilisation of wood waste as part of introducing renewable
energy technologies.

The meeting agreed that immediate solutions would focus
on measures to address the competitiveness of known and
lesser known species, clarifications on investment agreements
and greater information sharing, road maintenance in light of
heavy dual usage of roads, a review of the applications for VAT,
the creation of a consolidated dimensions stockyard and the

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