Mining company expects to create 250 jobs in Berbice

The Metallica Mining Company has promised to create up to 250 jobs in Berbice when it starts to process bauxite at the old bauxite facility at Everton, East Bank Berbice.
The company, which trades in all complex non-ferrous metals with a focus on commercial recycling of most residues and by-products from mining, is now moving its operations to Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and Everton, Berbice.
In December 2014, Caricom Cement Inc commissioned an $11 billion cement plant at Everton with the aim of providing 500 metric tons annually. At the time, the plant reported that 250 persons were employed and that figure was expected to double.
Back then, the Chairman of the company, Dr Joshua Safeek said it would inject $1 billion into the Berbice economy annually.
In October 2017, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had promised that the cement company would employ 400 of the workers who were sent home from the closed Rose Hall Sugar Estate.
The cement factory was using the broom and complex owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
On October 8, 2017 without warning, NICIL placed padlocks on the gate stopping anyone from entering the compound.
Now, the mining company says it wants to reopen the complex for bauxite processing. In fact, the company reported to the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association that it now owns the facility at Everton.
Addressing the Chamber at its 87th annual luncheon, Metallica Chief Operations Officer Andre Archer said they were hoping to produce cement, chemical, abrasive and proppant grades at Everton within the first five years of operation.
It is the hope of the mining company to create jobs both at Everton and Kwakwani. The company aims to rehabilitate the Everton processing facility as well as the kiln/dryer equipment and the loading and offloading facilities.