-gearing up for EU sea defence contracts
Despite rainy weather, three earth-shaking blasts saw 100,000 tonnes of rock tumbling down as construction material supplier, BK Quarry showcased the company’s capabilities at its Teperu/Itabu, Mazaruni River location on Friday.
Construction giant, BK International Inc. – of which the company is a subsidiary, was recently awarded a contract for sea defence works being funded by the European Union (EU) and the blasts were the largest done since he began working with the company, General Manager, Dayaljee Persaud said. Representatives of the EU including Head of the European Commission Delegation, Ambassador Geert Heikens were on hand to witness the blasts. They were also there to look at the materials available, Persaud said.
The works will be done in Regions Two, Three, Four and Six, Persaud told reporters. He disclosed that the company is looking at improving production. Currently, he said, the operation is producing about 300,000 tonnes of aggregate per hour. He noted that they are in the process of doing some rehabilitation and reconstruction work at the location and the upgrade will make the operation more efficient.
The General Manager assured that the company is producing stone in reasonable quantities. He said that they are looking at taking production to another level with the establishment of another quarry.
Heikens, meantime, said that the works that the EU is funding are not just building new sea defences but also upgrading. He said that the EU had previous programmes with BK, mostly in sea defence work. Noting the many programmes that the EU was involved with in Guyana, the ambassador said that there is a “lot” in the pipeline for Guyana in the future. He disclosed that the EC hopes to commit $50M Euros to Guyana next year and this will cover the sugar support programme, sea defence programme and general budgetary support.
Meantime, the company also showcased its facilities at the Region Seven location and Heikens, noting that it was his second visit there, said it was amazing to see how it has developed. Following a tour of the site, Persaud said that it was the thrust of Managing Director of BK, Brian Tiwari, to make the company self-sufficient. This endeavour currently involves the cultivation of a pineapple farm which has over 4000 plants as well as citrus plants. Persaud said that in future, they will also embark on poultry production. At the location, there are in excess of 150 employees. Accommodation, meals and laundry services are provided free of cost. The company also facilitates a visiting medical team to Bartica where medical services are accessed. There is also an entertainment centre and bar where workers can access various games and socialize. But this is only permitted on the week-ends, Persaud said. The company has also constructed a police outpost at Teperu and handed it over to the Guyana Police Force.
The General Manager stated that the initiatives are all in the interest of making the workers more comfortable. “We do things that would make them want to stay here”, he said.
