GNIC to bulk ship, bag Trinidad cement for local distribution
Deal with TCL also includes bulk shipping to Suriname
Stabroek News
December 15, 2006
The January 2007 commissioning of a multi million dollar bulk terminal and bagging facility at the Guyana National Industrial Corpora-tion's (GNIC) 66 sq. ft Lombard street complex could bring an end to the perennial cement shortages that have continually plagued the country's construction sector.
GNIC's Chief Executive Officer Clinton Williams told Stabroek Business last Monday that with the commissioning of the facility the company will commence the shipping of bulk cement from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados and the storage, bagging and distribution of the commodity locally. Under the agreement GNIC will also be shipping bulk cement to neighbouring Suriname for bagging and distribution at a Paramaribo bulk facility.
The new cement storage and bagging venture is being undertaken by Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) in collaboration with two local cement importers Anral Trading and Toolsie Persaud Ltd. Stabroek Business understands that the two local companies each have a 10% stake in the new venture, TCL Guyana Inc.
The GNIC has completed construction of the three 2,000-ton silos that will be used to store cement shipped to Guyana for bagging and distribution here. Stabroek Business understands that the operation has a capacity to bag 60,000 tons of cement per hour.
According to Williams the GNIC's role in the new venture was in keeping with its objective of maximizing sectoral linkages between the maritime transportation sector and the manufacturing sector which, in turn, would contribute to the accelerated development of various key sectors in the economy including forestry, mining, fisheries and construction. Williams disclosed that the GNIC had also entered into an agreement with TCL under which the local company will manufacture and supply a bulk cement vessel to transport bulk cement from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados to Guyana and Suriname and the manufacture of deck barges to move bagged cement to various parts of Guyana.
Williams also told Stabroek Business that thre GNIC had moved to implement an investment programme aimed at the rehabilitation and acquisition of wharf facilities at Georgetown. Linden and Skeldon in response to projected increases in its import and export activities associated with containerized and break bulk cargo. He said that the company was also aiming at substantial improvement in the dry dock and slipway facilities in order to ensure the adequacy of its installed capacity to respond to the recent cement shipping and bagging undertaking and other market opportunities.