Alexei Ramotar owes Guyanese workers and apology

Feb 21, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Reference to Press Release of Alexei Ramotar project manager Guyana Brazil Fibre optic link.
“Use of local work force delays gov’t -led fibre optic project” Sunday Chronicle February, 17thMarch.
If Mr. Alexei Ramotar is a political appointee, he is doing a very good job, I must compliment him on the timing of his release and blaming the Guyanese work force for delays in this project. He must also consider that he is part of the Guyanese workforce and could be unwittingly taking responsibility for the delay of this project. The press release will certainly add to the defense or justification of the Marriott project not employing any Guyanese and only Chinese.
If Mr. Ramotar is not a political appointee, then I stand corrected and offer unreserved apology for this assumption. However, since he is a very public individual with several press releases to his credit, it will be very helpful for us members of the humble local workforce to have him state his terms of reference on this project, the required qualification and experience; the process and medium used to advertise for his job, and the selection process based on professional merits.
This is a large project costing millions of US dollars, and if successful will bring great benefits to the Guyanese people. Based on the forgoing the readers will be the judge of Mr. Ramotar’s competence and blame game.
It is very troubling that Mr. Ramotar’s numerous press releases over the last two years have very conflicting stories of the project and the Guyanese work force was never blamed.
1)April 14, 2011 Guyana Times
Laying of govt’s fibre-optic cable from Brazil 50 per cent complete
“Overall, the government is hoping to have the lines fully powered by August, by when all state offices would access high-speed Internet connection”
Well it did not happen August 2011 nor August 2012, August 2013? Not a chance the Guyanese workforce according to Mr. Ramotar, could cause the delay.
2) Guyana Chronicle
Tuesday, 06 March 2012 21:31
First phase e-governance initiative 85 percent complete
THE first phase of Guyana’s E-Governance initiative, utilising a fibre optic cable stretching from Lethem to Georgetown, is 85 percent complete and the Project Manager, Alexei Ramotar, said that segment will be ready for commissioning by July month end, if not before.
“President Donald Ramotar’s son told the Guyana Chronicle, yesterday, that the laying of the 560 kilometres conduit has been done and it is already hooked up to ‘Oi’, the giant Brazil telecommunications provider that will be providing Guyana the link to access the rest of the world.
Ramotar said work on the repeater stations, another aspect of the project, is progressing satisfactorily and what remains to be finished is the connection to them and testing of the system, all of which should be completed within the next three months.”
3) Fibre optic cable links Guyana, Brazil – Mid-year Report circulated to cabinet.
November 3rd, 2012
“A total of 560 kilometers of fibre optic cable has been deployed from Lethem to Georgetown as part of Government’s quest to transform and modernise the society. According to the 2012 Mid-year Report, which was circulated in the National Assembly last week, in addition to the length of fibre optic cable, five repeater stations along the route have been constructed.
It was outlined that the electrical works for these stations are currently being sourced and installed and have already allowed for a connection to Brazil. The connection to the neighbouring territory was established during the third quarter of this year.”
So far no blame on our Guyanese workforce.
4) Gov’t experiencing difficulty with fiber optic cable September 13, 2012
“Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon has said that Government has been experiencing some amount of difficulty with the LTE Fiber Optic Cable program.”
Mr. Ramotar was press shy after the above press release until Sunday, 17th February, 2013. He blamed the Guyanese workforce for delaying the project. The Guyanese contractors on the project are unfortunate that the Chinese on the Marriott made them get blame. They were doing good since 2011.
The Guyanese contractors on this project must speak for themselves, they all have proven track records. Laying the cable is a no brainer job; it is not technical. It requires rigid supervision, inspection and testing as it progresses. This was not done and the failure rests solely on the Project Manager Mr. Alexei Ramotar.
Well he is excused; he is part of the Guyanese work force, and E-networks, the Guyanese designer of the project.
ECI was in contact with Huawei for most of last year giving them numerous quotes for various scope of works on one phase of this project and providing them with revisions to their designs, etc. They kept coming back for quote after quote and never had a tender document or a bidding process.
We spent hundreds of man hours doing technical work. When we realize that they will not play by the professional rules we ceased our contact with them.
Some time last December we had a call from a Colombian company to hire us as a sub contractor to work on the projects. We indicated no interest.
On the subject of Chinese workers, we will welcome them at Skeldon Sugar Factory where we are working along with Guysuco personnel and South African Company, Bosch, to correct poor design and the substandard construction done by the Chinese contractor and supplier. Regrettably, they were fully paid and allowed to walk without fulfilling the defects liability.
Regrettably also, Guysuco former chairman, director and subject Minister were allow to walk to promotions without any responsibility owing to the Skeldon Sugar Factory problems, and the people who depends on this factory for a living.
Guyana has very good contractors. If we are given the same conditions as the Chinese, exempted from tax, NIS, PAYE, duty free concessions and pay, we will pay our employees better and surpass the Chinese.
ECI is currently working on the Frequency Conversion of 28MW Wartsila Power Plant in Kingstown. Work commenced on the 24 MW Wartsila Power Plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, with proud Guyanese skill, technical and engineering workforce. These projects are the ultimate pride of the Guyanese workforce.
A call to all our Guyanese workforce, do not let people like Mr. Alexei Ramotar blame us. Demand an apology from him.
Sam Barakat

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