Dear Editor,
Last month, I forewarned that CH4/Lindsayca has been preferred for the nearly $1 billion Berbice oil refinery contract. A source at the office of the President just confirmed that Lindsayca has been awarded the contract to build the oil refinery in Berbice to the exclusion of local Guyanese bidders working in cooperation with reputable foreign multinationals.
The President has shown a preference for and recommended Lindsayca of the Dominican Republic for the contract. Why? Does the Vice President also prefer Lindsayca?
I read in the papers that a Dominican Republic based airline will fly to Guyana later this month when we don’t have traffic or trade with that island. Is it a coincidence that a Dominican company has been given landing rights and a Dominican company the next day got the refinery construction contract?
Why are foreigners preferred over local contractors? CH4/Lindsayca is a foreign company with no Guyanese partners, and there is no local content. The company will have to raise the money from private sources to construct the refinery. Other Guyanese companies that already showed the required money to build and operate the refinery have been bypassed. Why?
If Lindsayca has funds for such a large $1B contract, then why is the power generation plant at Wales stalled? Why doesn’t Lindsayca use such funds to complete the US$780 Million power generation plant? Why award another contract to Lindsayca when it cannot complete or fulfill its obligations in the power generating project?
Why is the government financially hurting local companies? It costs hundreds of thousands of American dollars to prepare a bid; one has to consult and pay engineers and project managers. Why is the government asking Guyanese to bid on a large project when it already has in place a prearranged deal or a preferred company for the work? The local companies that bid for the job are now out a couple hundred thousands of American dollars. Is that fair?
Yours truly,
Edward Burrowes
