Latest update September 11th, 2026 10:26 AM
Guyana has enough stone to supply all of its current needs
Dear Editor,
In a KN letter of May 21 on the above referenced subject, Mr. Hamilton Green, Elder and a former Works and Hydraulics Minister in a previous Guyana Government expressed the view that “Guyana has enough stone to supply all of its current needs and that importation of stone from Suriname appears to be a mechanism for some set of persons to make money”.
There can be no doubt that the Guyanese economy and its industries would benefit from imported quality stone from Suriname and elsewhere if the cost is lower than that produced locally. However, the Government has to ensure that Suriname and other suppliers of stone are not being subsidized and dumping their cheaper products on the Guyanese market since this will have the adverse effect of closure of several of the local quarries and putting many of their employees out of work.
Guyana has many locations where quality stone could and are being mined and processed for the local market at a price that users are willing to pay. If the margin is good, developers (as the gold miners have found) will be vying for permits to open new quarries all over the country. But this is not so as mining is an expensive operation and needs large capital outlay.
Mr. Green claims that the local quarries produce enough stone and aggregate to meet local needs and to even export. If this was so one wonders why a foreign mining company like Grassaico would establish a subsidiary in Guyana with as Mr. Green thinks an apparent saturated market for stone?
Of course, Grassaico is of the opinion that Guyana is a vibrant market for stone with handsome profits to be made. Hence the reason for its investment. Finally, Mr. Green stated that the Suriname President and other officials hailed development of the project Guysure ASI as a deepening of economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries. Mr. Green should have elaborated on these faux pas goodwill sentiments expressed by the Surinamese Government since Guyanese fishermen are still waiting for an answer to their request for permission to fish in Surinamese coastal waters.
Yours truly,
Charles Sohan
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Kick Suriname people out of Guyana.
Support local producers of stone for Guyana’s market
Ours must have priority over imported similar stones.
Unless of course, someone is mixing up “marbles with stones” and
labeling the marbles as stones and better quality.
Our housing needs come first with local stones.