Bai Shan Lin Forest Development Inc is preparing for the first phase of what will be a US$500 million investment in the wood processing sector as it is processing applications to fill some 700 positions for this phase alone.
This is according to Wenze Chu, President of China Forest Industry Group, the parent company of Bai Shan Lin Forest Development Inc.
“The main purpose for us for publishing the vacancy notice is to get the Guyanese workers for our Linden wood processing plant, our exhibition centre and international mall at Providence and for our housing projects in Guyana,” Wenze said.
“Our concession size is about 110,000 hectares. Our intention for the direction of the project is to put value added to those raw materials and this is why we employ so many people so that after we finish the construction of our wood processing plant, we can begin value-added operations on the logs coming from our concession,” he added.
“Because of the size of the Linden operation, the construction will be done in three phases over five years. By the end of 2013, the first phase will be completed and put into operation,” he said.
He said that the latest time for the 700 workers to be in their respective positions is March 1, 2013. “According to our plan, after June of 2013, we are going to start our second phase to employ the second batch of employees for our projects.
After the completion of Linden plant, we will introduce many persons highly skilled in the necessary technology and those people will also train and educate the Guyanese employees,” he said.
He added that with the training, the Guyanese workers will become skilled in operating the machinery and equipment at the plant. “At that time we will send those experts back to China as our objective is to use as many local persons for the projects,” he explained.
Wenze said too that the total output per annum for the wood processing operation will be US$200 million and the total investment is more than US$500 million.
In advertisements in the media, Bai Shan Lin said that it had vacancies for 220 factory construction workers, 80 skilled chain-saw operators, 80 semi-skilled chain-saw operators, 30 bulldozer operators, 35 loading truck drivers, 60 dump truck drivers, two excavator and grader operators, 60 logging truck drivers, 20 container truck drivers, 10 mechanics, 10 servicemen, 13 cooks and 80 inventory clerks.
In the advertisement, the company said, “In order to ensure and accommodate the timely commencement and completion of these projects, meet the demands of the company and to fulfil our promise to utilize (a) local workforce, hence assisting Guyanese people with employment, at present management is in need of approximately 700 Guyanese workers”.
Wenze met President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Natural Re-sources and the Environment Robert Persaud at the Office of the President on January 9, 2013.
The company said that while wood processing will be the main feature, the park will also encompass industries for ship building, woodworking, machinery, processing and manufacturing, food and aquatic processing, mining, a school and hospital.
The park, which will occupy five square kilometres and would be divided in three construction phases, will promote production of various kinds of wood products and brands “that will boost the development of the local economy, and create employment opportunities, the Government Information Agency had reported.
China Forest Industry Group Company Ltd is the parent company for several operations across Guyana, including Haimorakabra Logging, Karlam South America Timbers, Wood Associated Industries, Kwebanna Wood Produc-tions, Sherwood Forests, Bai Shan Lin Housing, Construc-tion, Mining Development Inc, and Bai Shan Lin Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Inc.
