Illegal concrete factory
…says directors’ instructions to leave Guyana a separate issue
Government is currently working along with Superior Concrete Incorporated, the company whose Directors were ordered to leave Guyana for flouting immigration policy, with Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Peter Ramsaroop saying the investment is still a viable one.

Dr Peter Ramsaroop
During Guyana’s first virtual diaspora conference on Saturday, Ramsaroop was questioned by a member of the diaspora about the signal being sent due to Directors of a company being booted out of the country. But Ramsaroop urged that the issues of the Directors and the investment not be conflated.
According to Ramsaroop, the main issue was an immigration one that saw two of the company’s Directors being instructed to leave Guyana. Ramsaroop noted that this was done based on Guyana’s immigration laws.

“From an investment perspective I did meet with the true investor of that company. They did not break any rules basically. They had just opened the container and were setting up the operation… it’s still a very good investment,” Ramsaroop said.
“We’re working with the true investor. His Directors who represented him, I think did him a disfavour. But I think our investment climate is non-board. We’re working through the requirements.”
In that vein, the CEO urged investors to not be discouraged but to come to Guyana, seek guidance from agencies such as GO-Invest and spend time familiarising themselves with the approvals they would need.

“I encourage all investors to ensure that they spend time on the regulatory permits that are necessary. Our office is there to help facilitate that. The response to the immigration issue should not be tied with the direct investment,” Ramsaroop said.
Illegal
It had previously been reported that foreign company Superior Concrete Inc had set up an illegal concrete plant at Houston Estates on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). According to the reports, the company had set up operations at Houston without the requisite governmental approvals.
Richard Austin Shamlin, one of the Directors, was given 24 hours to leave Guyana earlier this month. Shamlin had overstayed his time on his visitor’s visa. He was the second Director ordered to leave Guyana.
Shamlin was hostile to Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal when he, along with officials from the CHPA, went to the location to serve a third contravention order. Further, Shamlin demanded that the Minister, CH&PA officials and the media leave the premises. However, the Minister ignored him and engaged the media.
Ian Jones was the other Director of Superior Concrete Inc who was instructed by the Immigration Department to depart Guyana by May 19. In Jones’s case, it was discovered that his service was terminated by his previous employer in the oil sector, but he remained in Guyana on the work permit.
