Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
GuySuCo suing Booker Tate for Skeldon factory losses
– UK consultant also heading to court for outstanding fees
Former manager of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Booker Tate, has signaled its intentions to take the state-owned company to court for outstanding payments but the Corporation said yesterday it will instead be suing them for mismanagement and loss of production.
GuySuCo, according to reports, owes Booker Tate in excess of £3M ($900M) for overseeing the industry’s construction of the modern Skeldon factory, along with other management fees.
GuySuCo has signaled its intentions to take former managers, Booker Tate, to court for losses because of mismanagement of the Skeldon factory construction.
But design flaws which the UK-based company should have picked up on the Skeldon factory saw the Corporation severing the contracts of Booker Tate early this year with not one of the “super-salaried” workers here.
Among those that were sent home was former Project Director of the factory, Paul Hough. According to Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, during a press conference yesterday at the NCN studios, in one case, Booker Tate went ahead and ordered a diffuser system, defying the advice of the Chinese contractors.
Not only did the system not work properly, but GuySuCo had to conduct modifications.
Additionally, there were many substandard parts used, Gopaul disclosed.
It would be the first time that GuySuCo has opened up about the Skeldon factory which is under fire for not performing to the maximum.
Yesterday, both Chief Executive Officer (ag) Paul Bhim, and Gopaul, stressed that modifications works, repairs to one boiler which went down earlier this year, could realistically see the Skeldon factory pushing up production from the current 200 tonnes per hour to 250 and 300.
So far, the factory which cost in excess of US$181M and the largest single investment to date for Guyana, has identified several of the flaws which Chinese contractors are working to fix.
GuySuCo’s Board of Directors had earlier this year reportedly set up a special sub-committee to assess the performance of Hough and his employer, Booker Tate.
The sugar workers’ unions were consulted during the process.
Based on the findings of the special committee, the decision was taken by the Board to terminate the services of Booker Tate.
The committee found that there were several instances of negligence in the Skeldon project and especially with the installation of the punt dumper.
This caused the corporation to suffer severe losses not catered for in the testing period of the factory.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Mental illness is real and a serious public health concern
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Mental illness is a reality we often acknowledge in passing but seldom confront with the... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
