An investigation has been ordered by the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) into how several trucks belonging to a logging firm,China NFL Jerseys, BaiShanlin Forest Development Inc., have been working on the expansion project at Timehri.CJIA’s CEO, Ramesh GhirYesterday, Ramesh Ghir, Chief Executive Officer of CJIA, said that he only learnt of the presence of the trucks after reading Kaieteur News yesterday.He has asked the consultants for a report on the matter.The runway extension is part of a bigger US$150M project to modernize the airport to allow for bigger planes to land.Last year, the then Government of Guyana hired Canadian supervising firm, MMM Group in association with locally-based Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO), to manage the runway part of the project. The consultants were to be paid US$5.9M.There would be questions if it was the responsibility of the consultants to determine whether BaiShanLin should have been allowed to truck sand for the runway project.The issue was raised this week when several local truck operators complained that they saw no tenders by the Government or CJIA that they wanted trucks to transport materials to the site.What also have the operators angry is that BaiShanLin is a logging company that was granted hundreds of millions of dollars in duty free concessions to bring in trucks and other heavy equipment, specifically for use in the forestry activities.BaiShanLin would have had to seek permission for the duty free import under its investment agreement signed with the government.Using the trucks at CJIA would have been highly illegal and a breach of the agreement.A visit to the area on Thursday found several of BaiShanLin’s trucks in the compound of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) south of the main runway at CJIA where works are ongoing.Two of BaiShanLin’s trucks at the Timehri’s compound of CHEC.There was evidence that crude attempts had been made to cover up the logo of BaiShanLin on a number of trucks. Some of the logos were painted over while others were covered by white plastic. However, the registrations were still in BaiShanLin’s name.CHEC officials were unwilling to talk about it and instead summoned an armed guard to demand that the reporters vacate the area.Workers confirmed that BaiShanLin has been hired to transport sand for the runway extension and has been on site for several months now.In addition to trucks, it appeared that BaiShanLin’s heavy equipment is on site as well, but with little identifying marks, it was hard to tell.This particular timber company is in deep trouble with Government for failing to construct a wood processing facility in Region Ten, despite significant reports of timber harvesting and an unknown amount in log exports.The establishment has been here almost a decade and has been granted hundreds of millions of dollars in tax and duty free concessions.The duty free concessions were for trucks, skidders, excavators and other equipment to be used specifically for BaiShanLin’s activities in their logging concessions.The duty free concessions had been a hot topic of interest for Guyana, and for the current Government, which while in Opposition prior to the May 11 general elections, spoke vehemently about it.As a matter of fact, the contract signed between the Government of Guyana and CHEC, and dated November 2011, placed the provision of sand as a responsibility of the Government of Guyana.CHEC also agreed to use local nationals and make sure the proportion of the Chinese labour and the local nationals will not be less than the ratio of 6:4, except for special skills.In the meantime, BaiShanLin has ventured into the gold mining sector, concrete mixing and rental of its barges.
