Dear Editor,
I read in a media outlet that CH4-Lindsayca has been awarded the US$1 billion contract to build the Berbice oil refinery. How qualified is it?
The combined company was last year awarded the US$300 M contract to build the Power Generation plant at Wales; work there has been stalled as the company seeks to renegotiate costs. This project started out as $300 M Power Plant and has now shot up to US $800 M for which government is seeking $646M from the US Exim Bank. Will it reach $1 B when finished? Sources confirm that most of the equipment for which the funds are to be used were already purchased by the government with money from the treasury.
This raises serious questions as to the real purpose of the loan being sought. Can US Exim Bank do a thorough investigation!
Questions were asked about why CH4-Lindsayca were chosen for the contract and now the second contract? And why this connection with Dominican Republic (DR) company?
I did some investigative work on the two companies contracted to build the power plant and the refinery. There is not much on the profiles of either company on Google search engine. It is noted that both are in the oil and gas sector with no history on business activities.
CH4 is listed as a company of some Venezuelans working out of Puerto Rico with an office in Panama. Lindsayca is a company out of Texas with some connection in Dominican Republic. There are no known sources of income and business activities for either company. Their experience are not known and as such impossible to assess suitability of the work contracted.
Previous contracts, if they had any, are not listed. It is not known where they built power generating plants or refineries if indeed they previously built any.
The principal of Lindsayca has an executive jet. The source of income to finance the jet is not known and neither is it known if it made trips to Guyana. Apparently, Lindsayca previously did work in Venezuela. Lindsayca has business connection in Dominican Republic though we don’t know what business it runs there. It is financed by a bank in that country. The DR is under the radar of the American government. Are there any activities that Guyana should be concerned about under the radar of US agencies?
Why is our government rejecting local bidders for both contracts noted above in favor of foreign companies? Why are we doing business with companies that have a Venezuelan connection given the ongoing conflict with Venezuela. Is this patriotism? Is the President and VP acting patriotic in bypassing our companies for foreigners?
Yours truly,
Rudesh Jodha
