SURINAME
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES
with
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION
Project GCP/SUR/001/NET
Forestry Advisory Assistance
to the
Ministry of Natural Resources in Suriname
Economic Rent From Forest Operations In Suriname And A Proposal For Revising Surinam’s Forest Revenue System
by
Adrian Whiteman, FAO, Rome,
Revised - December 1999
This report is one of a series of reports produced during the course of a one-month assignment (during July and August 1999) as International Consultant (Forest Economics) to the FAO project GCP/SUR/001/NET, funded by the Government of the Netherlands. The International Consultant wishes to acknowledge the help and co-operation given by staff of the State Forest Service (LBB), the Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control (SBB) and others in the forestry sector in Suriname with the completion of this work. In particular, the consultant's counterpart, Mr Matai, has provided very valuable support with this work. The conclusions and recommendations presented here are those of the author and do not represent the official policy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Government of Suriname or the Government of the Netherlands.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Introduction
Economic rent and forest charges
What is economic rent?results of the economic rent analysis
How is economic rent estimated?
The relationship between economic rent and forest charges
The main challenges when calculating economic rent
The importance of setting the correct level of forest charges
Roundwood pricesimplications of the economic rent analysis for the level and structure of forest CHARGES
Roundwood production costs
Estimated economic rent
Forest charges - some general principlesdevelopment opportunities
Recommended forest charges
Total government revenues from forest levies and service fees and the current exchange rate policy
Improvements in the efficiency of forest operations
Increases in the price of delivered roundwood
Summary of opportunities to increase rent
policy implications and recommendations
Barriers to increasing the efficiency of forest operationsReferences
Implications and recommendations for forestry policy
Implications and recommendations for general Government policies
GLOSSARY