Sep 9, 2026
3 min read
Loggers in the Mara, Plegt Anker area of Region Six could soon have access to a furniture or joinery shop under a plan aimed at creating jobs and downstream opportunities for the community.
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat announced the plan following an Open Day engagement with miners and loggers on Tuesday at the Guyana Forestry Commission building on Garrison Road, Fort Canje, where stakeholders raised concerns directly with him and officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guyana Forestry Commission.
Bharrat said the initiative aims to move loggers away from producing raw timber and into value-added activities such as furniture making, cabinet and wardrobe production and supplying furniture to schools in Berbice.
"[We will] look at the possibility of collaboration and developing a small furniture shop or a joinery shop in the Mara, Plegt Anker area which will obviously create jobs... and create economic opportunities for the locals," he said.
He noted Government has already helped establish joinery and furniture shops in other communities, and is willing to work with communities in the Canje Creek and Mara, Plegt Anker areas to develop similar facilities.
Bharrat said a follow-up engagement with the Mara, Plegt Anker loggers association is planned within the next week, focusing on reviving the association, addressing internal issues and returning loggers to production.
The Minister also addressed growing interest in mining among Region Six residents, noting Berbicians had not traditionally been heavily involved in the sector.
"I'm happy today that we have had some interest in mining by Berbicians... mining is a very lucrative sector," he said.
Another issue raised during the outreach was the condition of the Canje Creek, where fallen trees and accumulated weeds have hampered loggers' work. Bharrat said he had spoken with National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) head Lionel Wordsworth, who will assist loggers in the area, while the Guyana Forestry Commission has committed chainsaws and fuel to support creek-clearing efforts.
Resident Khemraj Narine welcomed the engagement, saying stakeholders were given the opportunity to speak openly with the Minister. "Everybody had a free chance, everybody was pleased... at least I was pleased about the decision that he made," Narine said.
Bharrat reiterated his commitment to working with stakeholders to resolve issues affecting their economic activities.