On January 15, 2013, a meeting was held at the Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, Couva with the monthly paid Forestry Staff on the transformation of the Forestry Division to the Forest and Protected Management Authority (FPAMA) from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
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| View of Monthly Paid Forestry Division staff in attendance |
The purpose of this consultation
was to sensitise staff members about the FPAMA and the potential of benefits this
transition. Most importantly, it was to give monthly paid staff a forum to voice
their concerns and comments regarding the Authority
Mr. Courtnay Parks, Acting
Conservator of Forests; Forestry Division opened the meeting with welcoming
remarks which was then followed by a presentation by Dr. David Persaud,
Environmental Manager of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division;
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
Dr. Persaud updated staff on the
status of the transformation process of the Forestry Division to the
FPAMA. Monthly staff of Forestry was also
given an overview of the draft legislative framework for the FPAMA by Dr. Rajendra
Ramlogan, Legal Drafting Consultant for the Forestry, Protected Areas and
Wildlife Conservation Bill.
After the presentations, there
was an open discussion facilitated by the Honourable Minister of the
Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Ganga Singh. During this session, staff
had the opportunity to raise concerns and pose questions to the Minister and other
members of the head table which included the Permanent Secretary of the MEWR,
Dr. Persaud and Dr. Ramlogan.
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| Head Table during Q&A session. L-R: Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ramkhelawan, Honourable Minister Ganga Singh, Environmental Manager, Dr. Persaud and Legal Drafting Consultant, Dr. Ramlogan. |
Many issues were raised and
suggestions made about the transformation of the Forestry Division to the FPAMA.
These issues included, among other things, job security and employment options
and benefits, consideration of education/qualifications and current officers
with specialized experience in job selection criteria, remuneration and special
allowances, consultation during every step of the process, safety on the job
and accountability as well as training and re-training of staff with emphasis
on younger officers.
At the end of the session, the
Honourable Minister thanked the staff for their time and airing their views. He
reassured the staff members that concerns have been heard and would be further
addressed especially with the Change Management Consultants coming on board.
>> For further updates on the status of the transition to the FPAMA and/or to give comments, stay tuned to the Green Days by EPPD blog. Presentations and written comments from this meeting can be accessed below:
- Transformation of the Forestry Division to the FPAMA (Status Update)
- Overview of the Draft Legislative Framework
- Written Comments
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