Press Release 25 February 2005

Iwokrama Receives Further Support from UK - DFID; Announces a Balanced Budget for 2005

Iwokrama Centre, Georgetown – Today Iwokrama International Centre announced the receipt of a grant of £112,000 (US$200,000) from the UK Government through the Department for International Development (DFID). The grant will cover core operating costs from January to March 2005, thus freeing up sufficient funds for Iwokrama to successfully cover costs for 2005. As a result of this grant, Iwokrama also will be able increase its progress towards sustainability through the implementation of its 2005 – 2006 business plan.

In facilitating the grant from DFID, the Government of Guyana reiterated its commitment to ensuring the success of Iwokrama, recognising the important role that the organisation has already played in helping build human resource capacity for effective natural resource management in Guyana. As the flagship protected area in Guyana, Iwokrama Forest is expected to form the basis for the Guyana Protected Area System of the future.

Iwokrama Trustee and Foreign Affairs Minister of Guyana, The Honourable Mr. Rudy Insanally stated that, “Iwokrama has played an important role in community institutional and enterprise development that is critical to national development and poverty reduction. Iwokrama’s experiences and lessons learned in collaborative management and enterprise development are increasingly in demand in Guyana and regionally.”

The funding from DFID follows the issuance of a loan of $300,000 from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) arranged by the Government of Guyana to be paid back over three years.

In announcing that through organisational restructuring and improved efficiency, Iwokrama has been able to balance its budget for 2005, Iwokrama’s Director General (Ag), Dr. David Singh, reiterated that while Iwokrama expects to cover its operating expenses for 2005 and implement its revised business plan, it was essential to immediately address the challenges for the forthcoming year, to ensure that Iwokrama is not faced with the similar financial crisis in the latter part of this year as was faced in 2004.

Dr. Singh pointed out that, “This is dependent on the continued hard work of staff and the support of all our stakeholders so that substantial revenues can be earned and projects implemented to strengthen the institutional capacity of Iwokrama to deliver on its mandate of conservation and sustainable use of rainforest resources.”

This support from DFID, follows a previous grant of £100,000, provided between January 2004 and March 2005, for development of Trust Funds, public relations-building and the articulation of a fund raising strategy. Iwokrama has also been substantially supported by various other governments and organisations over the years, especially the Government of Canada through CIDA, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union, USAID, and the International Tropical Timber Organization.

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