Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Haier names Brian James as local partner
…may set up manufacturing plant here
Brian James, Haier local partner
Chinese appliances manufacturer, Haier, announced yesterday that it intends to set up a manufacturing plant here in Guyana, probably as early as next year.
The announcement came from Sun Yongle, the General Manager of Haier’s Overseas Project Division, who signed off on the company’s US$7.6 million contract to supply netbooks for the One Laptop Per Family Project.
The company won the bid to supply 27,000 laptops under the first phase of the project. President Bharrat Jagdeo, who witnessed the signing, restated the government’s intention to distribute a total of 90, 000 laptops within two to three years, and enable every home to have access to the internet.
He said that the goal is to ensure that everyone – from grandparents to kids – is computer literate.
Jagdeo said that internet access allows for “a whole range of services to be delivered to those homes” that will benefit from the project, but he did not get into details.
“This is very important for the future that we’re all working to build in Guyana – a future that gives citizens a greater say, more empowerment, not only in the affairs of their country but their own lives,” President Jagdeo said.
The government has set aside $1.8 billion in this year’s budget for the project.
Jagdeo said that with greater access to information, people “are going to demand more of their governments, if they are aware of what is going on around the world.”
The President said that Chinese grant funding, pegged at US$8 million, would supply more computers and help the project to be rolled out faster. The Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe witnessed the signing of the agreement.
Haier was one of two companies that President Jagdeo, six months ago, said could be favoured to supply laptops, utilizing the Chinese grant funding for the project.
Yesterday, he said that the Chinese Government has sought bids for the supply of computers.
Haier announced that Brian James, the owner of Auto Supplies, was the company’s local partner. James had before refused to acknowledge that he was the local representative of Haier, saying he would wait on the company to make that announcement.
Three weeks ago, James, no stranger to controversy, cancelled his invitations to a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a cinema complex on land which is the centre of a bitter legal dispute between the government and hardware giant Toolsie Persaud Limited.
Haier executive Sun Yongle displays one of the netbooks that his company would supply.
Toolsie Persaud claims that it is the rightful owner of the land which was sold off by the government.
Haier bid for the contract when the government put out a re-tender after rejecting all of the bids that were put in when the first advertisement for bids went out.
The company was one of the eight foreign companies that put in bids for the contract.
Jagdeo said that he was pleased that the second bidding process attracted direct bids from companies like Haier, “a major global company.”
He said that Haier has been around, has huge market capitalisation, and is a company that the government wants to do business with.
“We know the instruments that we are going to be provided with would be good, quality instruments; functional instruments.”
Mr Sun said that Haier would set up a local office and a local call centre to which persons can call and get on to a Guyana service engineer.
Haier is providing an 18-month warranty on the instruments it will provide – six months more than what the government was asking for.
Among the netbook specifications are: 2.0GB memory; a display screen of 10.1 inches; camera of 0.3 megapixels; two USB 2.0 ports; 1 RJ-45; headphones; microphones, card reader: MMC/SD Video Adaptor; Integrated Video with an operating system of a minimum Genuine Windows 7 Starter English (OEM).
It will also include a minimum two hours of battery operational life and has the capacity to handle wireless data.
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Well let’s see how it unfolds … the Guyanese population is tired of the corruption exhibited by those who hold closely the reigns of power. Our present leaders have immune themselves from decency thus becoming engulfed in their own corrupt practices to the extent that to them wrong is right.
Chinese computers for votes…
who will work in these plants?
chinese technicians just like at Skeldon and now we ended up a Blue elephant?
We will have many gray mice in our garbage.
Why not invest in libraries across the country with desktop computers that have internet access etc. I am still trying to figure out the method to this madness. I really think it is a waste of time. How many families can afford the internet, a printer and other accessories needed to enjoy the full function of these computers?
the government should tell the people that it is a net book and not a lap top after all they are different
In Guyana the proverb says “hand wash hand mek hand clean. Could you imagine what dirty hands made this deal. By the way was the cause of the fire at Auto Supplies ever determined.?
Greater access to information, well mistake president thats very h hypocritical of you, image you sit for 12 years with one radio station and then one TV station with access through out the country. So because chinese grant was giving make chinese had to win the bid when Giftland was bidding one million less, isn’t this gov’t wanna safe money for his people, is the chinese grand children them have to paid this back.
The employment of Guyanese also is a must NOT ALL CHINESE,,,in the field ,,,in the office,,everywhere ,,i,ve seen the attitude and mannerism of these people abroad,,,the authorities must get their priorities right for our countrymen and woman,ensuring that employment is available for guyanese also,,,NOTHINNG IS MENTIONED ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT OF GUYANESE,,,,WHAT,S THE MATTER .MR PRESIDENT JAGDEO GET YU PRIORITIES RIGHT ,,,,,GUYANESE MUST GET WORK,,,AND IN THE TECHNICAL FIELD ALSO GUYANESE HAVE THE POTENTIAL,,,,NO ALL CHINESE WORKFORCE..
these lil things are ureliable…waste of money but this govt is used to that