THE Leguan plantain chips factory is expected to become operational by the end of June.

The factory which will provide employment to 30 persons will be the first of its kind on the island.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Business, Rajdai Jagernauth, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Monday that the ministry is in the process of reviewing the qualifications of persons to manage the factory. She said after Expressions of Interest for operating the factory was advertised, the Ministry received only one response.

A similar factory was slated for the neighbouring island of Wakenaam , however the government has decided to discontinue with the plan. Jagernauth said that being guided by a review which was undertaken by the ministry in 2015, it was recommended that the project be halted.

The PAC requested a copy of the report on the firm which conducted the review and later determined that the project was not feasible for Wakenaam.

The Permanent Secretary noted that she was unaware of any other alternative regarding the Wakenaam factory plans.

In March, following a site visit by Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and a team from the ministry, the Government Information Agency (GINA) noted that the Ministry has heeded the advice of the Sea Defence Board and will not proceed with the chip factory in Wakenaam. It was noted that a structure there for the facility was built on land that is deemed prone to flooding and erosion.

The chips factory is one of four projects which fall under the $1 Billion Rural Development Fund (RDF) that was put on hold ion 2016 pending a review. In addition to the factories, two call centres have been planned for opening at Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara and Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo.

In addition to funding in the 2015 budget, last year’s budget provided $195M for the completion of remaining works on the projects at Tuschen and Enmore and Leguan.

Head of Industries at the Ministry of Business, Sharon Alexander in an interview with GINA said that in addition to the initial 30 jobs which will be created immediately upon completion of the chips factory at Leguan, over time, the employment number will increase.

A road and a bridge to gain access to the factory’s premises have been completed by the government so that the factory can become operational and provide benefits for the community.

PAC Chair, Irfaan Ali, told the team from the Ministry of Business that persons on the island of Leguan are already preparing to invest from their plantain farms into the factory.

He said there were also questions regarding the plans for the Wakenaam factory, since according to Ali, persons there were also preparing their farms for the project.