Gail Teixeira

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The Opposition’s sharp powers of observation were definitely on display yesterday in the National Assembly, as it was able to expose that the Government has set aside millions of dollars for the operations of a Commission that is yet to have its legislation assented to, much less its own office and staff.Minister of State, Joseph HarmonThis occurred during the scrutiny of the current and capital revenue and expenditure for public sector agencies and ministries in the Committee of Supply.The first to be examined was the Ministry of the Presidency.Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, asked Minister of State Joseph Harmon to explain why $20M has been set aside for the Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission for 2017, when it is not even in operation.Harmon said that the Commission is now in contemplation of the administration and the Wildlife Bill will soon be approved by President David Granger.The Minister of State said that he expects that as early as January 2017, the agency will be brought into existence. He said, too, that Government is currently looking at the provisions of the Bill to see what steps have to be taken for their activation, as well as the agencies that would fall under its control.Be that as it may, Teixeira asked the experienced lawyer to state if it is normal for a budgetary agency to be allocated monies without it being established or its legislation not even in place as yet.Harmon said that while he would not deal with the legality or illegality of the matter, the fact remains that the Bill was already before the House and will be assented to shortly. He reiterated that the Commission is expected to commence its work early next year and as such, would have the resources to “hit the ground running.”The sum for the Commission was subsequently approved.The Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill of 2016, was passed by the House in August last. The Bill not only paves the way for the better management of the country’s flora and fauna, but also brings the country into compliance with its international obligations.The Bill, which was tabled by Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, was passed with a number of amendments, including one proposed by Opposition MP, Dharamkumar Seeraj, after being taken through all its stages.Trotman said that the Bill has its origins in the International Convention on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and can be traced back several years.Noting that Guyana is a member of CITES, he said that such membership devolves on the country certain responsibilities, including having appropriate laws and regulations to safeguard that flora and fauna, and to curb the illegal trade of wildlife as well as to have the safe and regulated movement of wildlife, both within and outside of state parties.He said that for the most part, though being a party to the Convention, Guyana has not been fully compliant, even though every effort has been made to do so.“One such requirement is for there to be adequate legal provisions that not only incorporate the requirements of the Convention, but also provide adequate safeguards to the flora and fauna in our biodiversity,” said the Minister.“We have been using, for a number of years, regulations published under the Environmental Protection Act, and these have since been deemed inadequate, hence the presence of this Bill. We therefore cannot go on without the adequate legal framework and laws being in place without facing sanctions for non-implementation. This Bill among other things is an attempt to remedy that jeopardy which has arisen,” said Trotman to the House.