– 1,000 tonnes expected every three days
THE first stone depot in Georgetown yesterday received its initial shipment of 1,000 tonnes of stone at Battery Road, Kingston, just behind the Guyana Forestry Commission.Mr Vishnu Ramdial of Durban Quarries said that with the heavy demand for stone, the new operation is available to anyone who wishes to purchase. Obtainable are different grades from ½ inch, ¾ inch and others. The supply is expected to be renewed every two to three days.
The tug and barge of Durban Quarries deliver stone at the Battery Road location, yesterday
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, who inspected the shipment said that a lot of the stone will go towards housing, road and sea defence projects.
Observing that there have been complaints of a shortage, the minister said it is the belief that quarry operators in Guyana can do better.
“They can scale up their output to meet the market. It is always sad when local contractors and even the government itself, have to contemplate importing quarry material given the vast resources,” he pointed out.
Minister Persaud noted that there have been a number of meetings with quarry operators involving different ministries and one of the complaints raised was logistics. He observed that it was not just shortage of materials, but bringing the material to the market and having the necessary depot.
He said his ministry worked with Durban Quarries while at the same time seeking to work with other operators in terms of ironing out their difficulties. The minister said several issues were addressed and worked out including the procurement of spares through the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), as well as getting support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
With respect to Durban Quarries, the minister stated that the operator did not have an off loading facility. The current location was identified through discussions with the Ministry of Public Works, and the company invested in a barge and tug.
Minister Persaud expressed the hope that through the facilitation “we will see an increased supply to the market especially to the construction sector.”
He also hopes that this move would satisfy the stone shortage and that other operators would utilise the resources and improve it.
Mr. Persaud also said that his Ministry is currently reviewing the terms and conditions of quarry operators and an excess of a dozen applications for operations in the country are currently being reviewed. He noted that whilst wanting to upscale the sector, “we are looking at new entrants to support the construction boom in the country, and remove the reliance on imported stone.”
He also pointed to the boom in the construction sector which has increased the demand for stone, and expressed the hope that more quarry operators would respond.
(GINA)