Dear Editor,

I wish to respond to an article in the Kaieteur News of Thursday, July 16, 2009 titled ‘$154M sluice contractual works completed… Ministry, contractor differ on extent of payout.’

I wish to bring to the attention of the public that this article is misconceived and false since my company, Roopan Ramotar Investments, has received 90% of monies of the value of the completed works (where 10% is held for retention purposes) which is equivalent to 80% of the entire contract sum as was mentioned by the Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud at a press briefing on Wednesday.

In addition, I wish to bring to the attention of this newspaper that the sluice can be operational if the need arises. In fact, we have asked the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority to write to the Guyana Sugar Corporation for the corporation to begin using the sluice at intervals since there is a buildup of stuff leading to the mouth of the sluice.

The structure at the sluice is a firm one, which any engineer could attest to. In fact, the cracks that were mentioned in a previous article by the Kaieteur News have been misconceived since they are not cracks at all but construction joints.

We have already built two double-door sluices at Westbury and Golden Fleece on the Essequibo Coast through EU funding, and were given high praise for the work done, and De Willem is no different. My company is the only local company which has constructed sluices of this nature and complexity on the sea coast of Guyana within recent years. I cannot see why the newspaper would see it otherwise, but can only consider this as being mischievous and devious.

Revetment works are ongoing and after the sluice comes into operation with a natural waterway being formed, only then will the preparatory works for the groyne begin.

Yours faithfully,
Roopan Ramotar
Roopan Ramotar Investments