Rehabilitation work on the Skeldon sugar factory is almost complete and it is grinding again, according to Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.
It is now left to be seen if these works will lift the present dismal processing of 196 tonnes of cane per hour compared to its rated capacity of 350 tonnes and end the chronic problems experienced since being commissioned by its Chinese builder in 2009.
All six of the components that South African firm Bosch Engineering was contracted to do are either completed or are in the process of being completed, Ramsammy told Stabroek News yesterday adding that the factory started to grind again last week. He noted that some work is still ongoing but it is almost 100% completed. When asked about the cost of the work the minister said he could not give that figure off hand.
When questioned about whether any costs were levied against the China National Technology Import and the Export Corporation (CNTIC) which built the factory, Ramsammy said that the company had delivered what was in their contract. He said that the work being done by Bosch Engineering was not part of CNTIC’s contract and there were no defects that needed to be fixed.