Chinese workers are presently involved in the construction of a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) substation at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara which is part of a huge project being financed by a US$39.6M loan from China’s Export-Import Bank.
The disclosure comes amid the furore that only Chinese workers have been employed for the construction of the controversial Marriott hotel in Kingston.
The employment of the Chinese has raised concerns over the rights of Guyanese in an environment where many are unemployed and might be prepared to undertake at least low- and semi-skilled jobs. Concerns also pertain to the basis on which the agreement for the hiring of Chinese workers was made by the government and in this case GPL. Observers have also questioned whether the laws of the country have been fully complied with in relation to procedure for approving foreign workers.
It has been asked whether advertisements were placed for the various classes of skilled workers. Observers argue that it should only be when it is clear that these skills are not available locally that foreigners are brought in to do them. This does not appear to be the case with Chinese-funded projects.
Sources say it appears that for every Chinese-funded project there is a built-in condition that Chinese workers have to be employed. The economics of such has been queried as the workers have to be transported a far distance to Guyana and there are significant overheads such as accommodation. The observers have argued that the fundamental precept that it is being violated by the use of Chinese labour is that Guyanese are being deprived of badly needed job opportunities.
A visit to the Good Hope site yesterday afternoon revealed all except one of the workers undertaking the construction of what Stabroek News understands to be a Guyana Power and Light Substation are Chinese nationals. The exception was a Guyanese national who was observed working on various aspects of the construction work.
According to a resident of Good Hope the initial stages of the project were executed by Guyanese nationals. He said that it was Guyanese who completed the foundation as well as the casting for the fence that now surrounds the construction site. He said however that after this was done, Chinese nationals were brought to begin a new set of works and have been there ever since. GPL would likely over the years have had many in its employ who would have been exposed to the type of work being done at Good Hope.
One resident told Stabroek News that a bus takes the workers to the site each morning and collects them again in the evening after they would have completed that day’s work.
Residents said that, Bharat Dindyal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GPL, met with residents from the Good Hope Housing Scheme, Lusignan as well as Annandale at the Lusignan Community Ground last September to discuss the project.
The resident stated that Dindyal informed them of GPL’s intentions to build Substations in Good Hope and several other locations. He said that Dindyal explained that the purpose of the stations was to improve the efficiency with which electricity is supplied, and enable them to rapidly address cases of power outages.
Dindyal also reportedly told the residents that the company would be contracting Chinese nationals to work on the project, but did not explain why.
Though attempts were made yesterday by Stabroek News, Dindyal could not be reached for a comment.
Similar substations are to be built at Edinburgh and Vreed-en-Hoop, North Ruimveldt, Sophia, Golden Grove and Good Hope. Dindyal had said last September that the new facilities would enable GPL to move bulk power from East to West Demerara”. Once the system is fully operational on the West Coast Demerara, GPL will be able to deploy a total of six feeders from Versailles to Roden Rust instead of just one, thereby drastically improving the reliability and quality of the electricity supply on the West Coast.
When the agreement for the Exim bank loan was signed in May 2010, there was no announcement about the employment of Chinese workers.
