The first stone depot in Georgetown opened with an initial shipment of 1,000 tonnes of stone at its Battery Road, Kingston location, even as the Ministry of Natural Resources is reviewing over a dozen applications for stone quarry operations.
Vishnu Ramdial of Durban Quarries said that the commodity is in heavy demand and is available for anyone who wishes to purchase, according to a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA). Several different grades of stone are available starting from ½ inch, ¾ inch and more, and supply is expected to be renewed every two to three days.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud who inspected the shipment, said must of the stone will be used for construction of homes, roads, and sea defence projects. While acknowledging complaints about shortages and “logistics” the minister observed that the local quarry operators can do better.
“They can scale up their output to meet the market. It is always sad when local contractors and even the government itself, have to contemplate importing quarry material given the vast resources,” he said, while pointing out that quarry operators also raised the issue of logistics during meetings with several ministries.
Persaud said that his ministry has worked with Durban Quarries and is interested in working with other operators to iron out their difficulties. Several issues have been addressed, including the procurement of spares through the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as well as
soliciting support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
With regard to Durban Quarries, he said the operator did not have an offloading facility and the current location was identified through discussions with the Ministry of Public Works. The company also invested in a barge and tug. Persaud is optimistic that through these measures “we will see an increased supply to the market especially to the construction sector.” He hoped that this move would end the stone shortage and that other operators would utilise the resources and improve it.
The ministry is currently reviewing the terms and conditions of quarry operators and is currently examining more than 12 applications for operations from across the country. “We are looking at new entrants to support the construction boom in the country, and remove the reliance on imported stone,” he said.
