Iwokrama, PSC outline business investment plan
By Mark Ramotar
Guyana Chronicle
November 13, 2003
THE IWOKRAMA International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, in collaboration with the Private Sector Commission (PSC), yesterday outlined a 'business plan' that targets members of the business community.
The aim is to solicit 'expressions of interest' from them on potential business opportunities with Iwokrama.
The short but interesting seminar was attended by a few members of the business community who familiarized themselves with investment opportunities available with Iwokrama, especially in the areas of timber, tourism and training and conservation services. The seminar was held in the Library of the PSC, located on Waterloo Street, Georgetown.
Executive Director of the PSC, Mr. Bal Persaud, expressed the hope that this kind of collaborative engagement where the PSC plays a facilitating role, can be on a more frequent basis.
Acknowledging that Iwokrama has "tremendous business potential", Persaud commended the centre for "opening its doors to business opportunities".
The Iwokrama business plan identifies commercialization of timber harvesting as the top priority since it is both relatively simple to initiate and has the capacity to generate revenues quickly.
The proposed plan includes low-technology timber extraction, based on chainsaw conversion and mobile sawmills.
Mr. Graham Watkins, Acting Director General of Iwokrama, indicated that this operation will be run by enterprises located in the surrounding communities. He pointed out that in essence, Iwokrama will help these businesses start and operate and in return will receive substantially more than the basic fees by a concession holder.
Watkins also indicated that international ecotourism has the potential to generate funds for Iwokrama and that these should be secured by leasing out the rights to operate within Iwokrama.
According to the Executive Summary of the Iwokrama Business Plan, there appears to be adequate scope for Iwokrama to meet its core costs from commercial activities within the next year. It said thereafter, further business opportunities can be developed with local communities and other local partners as the main actors, for example through extending the aquarium fish, Arapaima, Crabwood Oil and honey projects.
It said, too, that Iwokrama has to ensure that all businesses meet the requirements of sustainable resource use, social equity and the wider environmental conservation aims in its constitution. In return, Iwokrama will provide business development advise and facilitation to communities when it is able to do so from its own staff.
The Board of Trustees of Iwokrama will also take much greater responsibility than in the past for ensuring that the Iwokrama management team delivers the physical and financial progress of approved activities and ensure accountability within the Centre.
According to the document, the 'business plan' identifies where the main revenue earning capabilities lie and focuses on these. At the same time it shows how Iwokrama can maintain a wide ranging port-folio of directly managed and leased out activities that represent the breadth of the Iwokrama Vision and encompass Iwokrama's responsibilities to its wide range of national and international stakeholders.
The document said the business opportunities being developed should as soon as possible be brought into a prospectus that would be available for 'Green' investors. These people can be offered either contribution to a general fund or investment in specific business development spun off from Iwokrama.
According to Watkins, businesses can get the opportunity to use the 'Iwokrama' name which is a very valuable resource that must be properly protected and used to identify products and services that emanate from Iwokrama and are fully consistent with the wider principles of sustainable environmental management and social equity.
In terms of eco-tourism potential, it was noted that Iwokrama has developed a visitor centre, accommodation and a canopy walkway (to be officially opened next week) at the Iwokrama field station.
"Although it is never going to be mainstream eco-tourism compared with countries such as Costa Rica, Iwokrama has potential for both specialized tourism (such as omithology) and as part of a regional package with Iwokrama linked to other areas within Guyana, the Guiana Shield and the Caribbean," the 'business plan' posited.