200 tons of stones sitting on wharf amidst national shortage

Dec 07, 2021 News

-as GRA gets ready to dispose of ‘unentered goods’

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana has in recent years, repeatedly lamented the shortage of stones— a crucial commodity used in the construction industry—on the local market, that has since led to the issuance of several new quarry licences being issued and even the importation of the much needed commodity into the country.

The consignment of stones was imported by the Guyana National Industrial Company

This obtains, even as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) gets ready to dispose of some 200 tons of ‘Crushed Stones Crusher Run.’
The consignment was imported by the Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC) and is being stored on the Demerara Shipping Company’s Wharf.
The information is contained in a recent publication in the Official Gazette and was signed by GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, putting on notice that the stones would be disposed off.
According to the GRA notice, should any person have a lien held against the imported commodity, such a claim should be made to its Headquarters.
The stones are currently categorised as ‘unentered goods’ with the GRA signalling its intention to dispose of them.
The stone shortage situation in Guyana had reached a point where Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, last year removed the taxes on the importation of stones in order to meet the shortfall in meeting local demand.
At the time, it was noted with the re-opening of Guyana’s economy in light of COVID-19, the construction sector is expected to boom given the numerous developmental and infrastructural projects being discussed by the new government.
Only recently, the issue of the shortfall in the supply of stones was raised again as a bugbear for the local construction industry when government announced that it would be granting new quarry licences.
Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Newell Dennison, signed a licence for quarry operations with Kamaira Quarry in October last, paving the path for a $620 million operation by the local investor.
At the time, it was noted that the instrument was being issued against the backdrop of local construction and infrastructural booms emanating from accelerated housing programmes, massive highways and other major developments being undertaken.
In April of this year, Head of State, President Ali had intimated that with an accelerated housing programme, massive road projects, and community roads to be developed, Guyana’s quarrying industry will no longer be able to take a backseat among the productive sectors, but rather be efficiently exploited for local consumption and progressive projects.
In Guyana, based on an analysis of the country’s budget, a sum of $58.2 billion of planned expenditure on public infrastructure is the second largest component of the government’s fiscal programme.
In fact, President Ali said that the extraordinary demand from the “construction boom” had resulted in the importation of an estimated 40 percent of construction materials, at an approximate value of US$10 million.
While an increase in economic activities is always good, the pitfall in this regard is that such a large amount of the commodities had to be imported, when, in fact, they can be produced locally.
To this end, he implored at the time, “we can produce this locally.”
Only yesterday, the State owned newspaper reported that with the market for aggregate continuing to expand due to Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector and booming construction industry, local businessman Lakeram S. Harridat will soon establish a US$11 million quarry on the bank of the Essequibo River.
He is among a number of other locals that have been given quarry licences in recent months including, Mohamed’s Enterprises.