Having recently purchased land on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, Trinidad and Tobago headquartered Ramps logistics plans to significantly expand its oil and gas support services here and is hoping that an export free zone will be established in the future to catapult Guyana as a hub for exporting equipment and services, especially to the region.
“Of the key things that we feel is important for Guyana is the development of a free zone that will allow oil and gas service companies to bring equipment and perform operations here in Guyana. Additionally, we can export that equipment and services, especially to Trinidad in Suriname. We hope that this property will play a key role in supporting the export of oil and gas services from Guyana,” the company said through its Communications Supervisor, Kadelia Achille, in response to questions from the Stabroek News.
Last month, the purchases and notice for the passing of the transport of two lots at Turkeyen for the company were publicised in the Official Gazette.
The company has also acquired land at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara and says that in the short term, it plans to use it as it continues expanding and growing its operations in Guyana.
Achille said that they company’s vision for Guyana is long-term and therefore it is acquiring assets that it believes “will generate value over the next 15, 20, or even 50 years.”
“There are a few places in the world where the prospect for business development is as positive as is in Guyana. We feel fortunate to be in Guyana. We knew that the Guyanese economy would continue to grow and create great opportunities for everyone in Guyana,” the company said.
With current trade agreements with CARICOM and individual countries Guyana already has a transshipment bond agreement where equipment bound for Suriname and Trinidad can be stored here tax-free and the taxes paid when it reaches the final destination. However, that process requires hefty deposits and dossiers of paperwork for each transaction; a process the company believes is a deterrent to businesses and operators.
The company believes that if Guyana is allowed to be an export free zone for oil and gas services, more businesses would flock here and it would in term boost local content. “We are exploring working along with the regulatory bodies to see if Guyana will be open to it,” local representative Mariska Jordan further explained.
Ramps said that its property investments will also see the establishment of a research and development (R&D) department.
“Long term, we will continue developing and rolling out several digital technologies tailor-made for the offshore logistics sector. We hope to build some of those technologies by creating a R&D department in Guyana to work alongside our R&D department in Trinidad. We expect to continue to export those digital technologies to oil and gas operations across the world,” Achille said.
It was explained that Ramps is responsible for building all of its databases and modules so that with the click of a button both the company and its current clients can have current updates on their transactions and services.
In Trinidad and Tobago, a laser dashboard was developed and clients can see their shipment status, licences, payments or other transaction being processed. Freight modules, developed by RAMPS’ Information technology engineers, are used and the company says that it is these technological advancements in its operations that give it the edge over other businesses.
The company dismissed criticisms that it brings unfair competition here in Guyana. “Ramps began operations in Trinidad in 1985, and we expanded our business to Guyana in 2013. When we came to Guyana, there was no prospect of oil and gas then. We came to Guyana to develop a logistics business, which we thought would add value to the Guyanese importing and exporting population. We have grown our business because of the quality of people we have in our Guyana office and our sustainable processes and technology,” the company stated.
Asked why it believed that it has gotten the volume of contracts it has to date, the Communications Supervisor replied, “mainly for three reasons: Our people, processes, and technology. We have always focused on hiring the best and brightest people in any country that we operate. Guyana is no exception.”
Further, she added, “ Some of the best and brightest young Guyanese work in our Guyana office and continue to build our company. We were able to combine our people with sustainable processes and world class technology. The fact that we focus on developing digital technologies for the logistics industry is probably the most critical factor contributing to our success as a logistics company.”
The company also addressed reports and accusations of it receiving duty-free concessions in the past, saying they are all untrue and this can be verified by the Guyana Revenue Authority. “The current Commissioner General has gone on record to state that Ramps does not enjoy any duty-free concessions. We pay duties on any imported items for Ramps. All operators who bring in any equipment for oil and gas offshore production enjoy duty-free concessions. As their logistics company, this includes moving that equipment into and out of Guyana on their behalf,” the company said.
“We re-iterate that RAMPS Guyana has never been the beneficiary of any duty-free concessions,” it added.
And turning to its giving back to Guyana, Ramps said that its Corporate Service Responsibilities [CSR] ethos is one of the key pillars in the organisation. “In every office location, we embed ourselves in the culture and the social issues that matter to our team members. We focus on youth development, women empowerment, providing for impoverished families and children’s homes and partnering with community businesses. Our recent initiatives have allowed us to partner with St. Ann’s Girls Home, Diamond Police Station, Giftland Group of Companies, and a number of other key Guyanese stakeholders,” the company stated.
“Our CSR is volunteer-driven and has helped us attract persons to our company, specifically people who care about communities and positively impact their country. Those are the people who end up applying to Ramps because they realise that it is also important to us,” it added.
And while the COVID-19 pandemic has affected its operations minimally, the company said it was forced to examine its operations to understand what its business continuity model must become. “COVID-19 forced us to be more disciplined as an organization and detail how our BCP [Business Continuity Plan] would kick in and what we would do in the case of being impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has challenged us to adopt digital technologies better. The ability to use software like video conferencing and work more closely with our partners, vendors, and customers in delivering services online has been eye-opening,” it said.
It lauded efforts here by government agencies, saying they were also progressive “during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring online and better use digital technologies to deliver their customers’ services.”
Five of the company’s employees have to date tested positive for COVID-19 and 95% of all staff remain working from home since March 2020. According to Achille, only a handful of essential staff operate in-office.
The company has a health and safety mechanism which is triggered when an employee tests positive. The company stressed that even when restrictions are relaxed, it still maintained a high level of staff working from home. As a result, it has no service interruptions to its customers. “Thankfully, all team members who tested positive are fully recovered and doing well,” Achille said.
Ramps said that it continues to be upbeat about the positive prospects for business development this year and beyond, for its operations here in Guyana.
