Amendments Would Put PACT Board Under G.O.B. Control

Osmany Salas

And then there is a concern with the composition of the PACT Board of Directors, which would change significantly with the amendments which have been proposed.

Via Phone: Osmany Salas, President, B.T.I.A.

“There is currently a fairly healthy balance on the PACT Board in relation to government representation and non-government representation. If the amendments go through as currently proposed the balance would be significantly more skewed towards government representation. Currently it is clear in the PACT Act how the Board will be structured. Which Ministries via their CEOs will be represented is specified…which NGOs will be represented – that is specified. There is a space for an at-large member which the Board selects. In essence the parent minister for PACT is the Minister of Forests, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, so currently the Minister does not decide who will sit on the PACT Board. If the amendments as proposed go through, the Minister would have more of a say on how the Board will be structured and would decide who would Chair the Board and in particular who will be the Chair. Under the current legislation the Board decides who will be the Chair and the Vice-Chair. So if the amendments go through as proposed that will change and it will be the Minister who will decide.”

According to Salas, the N.G.O. community believes that the two bills as proposed, without proper comprehensive consultation, will be taken to the House. He says that would be a bad move since the management of protected areas has always been a partnership between G.O.B. and N.G.O.s and while there are good aspects of both bills, there are also very serious deficiencies.