In keeping with its intention to reopen the Rose Hall Estate, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) signed four contracts today for the supply and delivery of assorted materials for fabrication of cane-transport punts or barges with David Persaud Investments Ltd and Gafsons Industries Ltd. The contracts are worth $284,157,050.
Following the closure of the Rose Hall Estate by the previous administration in 2017, approximately 120 of the cane-transport punts that belonged to that estate were transferred to the Albion Estate. The punts that remained at the estate were not maintained, as such, they have deteriorated beyond the point of being salvageable.
To commence grinding operations in 2022, the Rose Hall Estate will require 450 new cane-punts to accommodate its daily expected output. GuySuCo routinely budgets for the replacement of aged cane transport punts, at a rate of 10% per annum, given that each new punt has an expected useful life expectancy of ten (10) years.
Similarly, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) signed a contract with VR Construction Inc. for the sum of $84,561,100 for the supply of a pontoon barge. Additionally, the drainage authority also signed a contract with Guyana Tractor & Equipment (Guytrac) totaling $60,000,000 for the supply of two long-reach hydraulic excavators.
With the acquisition of these pieces of equipment which will be operated in the Pomeroon River, Region Two, the Ministry of Agriculture said NDIA will now be better equipped to execute drainage works required in swampy peggase soil, which under normal conditions is difficult to operate an excavator without the risk of the machine sinking. These machines will also be used to assist the NDIA with executing a blocked drainage programme within the Pomeroon area.
Following the signing of the contracts, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said the contracts being signed were critical to advancing the government’s efforts to develop Guyana’s agriculture sector.
“NDIA over the last three months has been under a lot of strain in terms of getting our country back to normalcy following the onset of the May-June rainy period which resulted in flooding in many parts of the country. Furthermore, the President would’ve committed to the people of Pomeroon to deliver a pontoon with excavators so that we can constantly delist the mouth of the river. We know that that area is prone to flooding especially when we have heavy rainfall or high tides. We are therefore making the necessary investments to mitigate flooding in those areas,” Minister Mustapha said.
As it pertains to GuySuCo Mustapha said, “I’ve said many times that the government made a commitment to the people of this country that we will reopen some of the closed sugar estates so that we can create employment and contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the economy as a whole.” On this note, he reminded the contractors that they are expected to meet their deadlines in a timely manner while adding that the Ministry has no intention of granting extensions or accepting substandard work.
