BUSINESS tycoon Brian Tiwarie, owner and founder of BK International, on Saturday said that the change which has come to Guyana is well deserving and comes at the right time, even as he pledged to work closely with the David Granger administration.Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday on Brickdam where the company is providing massive assistance to the Government for the restoration of the 1966 Independence Arch, the businessman said that he sees this new government as one he can work with.

HOPE RESTORED
According to Tiwarie, the change is good for him, his company, and the children of Guyana as they can now truly see a better future as hope has been restored to Guyana.
“It gives us some encouragement, because I see a better future for the children where they can come out publicly and do things for their country,” Tiwarie told this newspaper.
He further said that any business person will feel better and more comfortable working with a government that does not adopt the ‘big stick’ approach, but rather invites persons to the table and gently asks for assistance.
“You like to work with people who listen, not people who come and break down your bridges and kick down your doors like what Robeson Benn has been doing all the time. We want to work with people who listen to you, and who you can work with.”
OPENING THE DOOR
Tiwarie explained that what the David Granger administration is doing is opening the door to everyone, and asking them to come on board to help.
He recalled that when Dr. Cheddi Jagan was alive, he did just what President David Granger is doing today; that is, extending a hand to all and sundry to be part of the process of nation-building. And people were happy to respond to the call.
“The previous administration never asked for help, but just kept coming and breaking down what you have,” Tiwarie said, adding: “This administration is the best administration that I am saying I can work with.”
BK International has over the last years been awarded several government contracts under the PPP administration in the line of sea defence, infrastructure and housing and water. However, things began to get rocky between Tiwarie’s company and the Ministry of Public Works headed by former Minister Robeson Benn.
The fallout had to do with the controversial project at Supenaam Stelling, where Tiwariwe’s company was awarded a contract to construct a ramp to facilitate vehicles going on and off the ferry there.
The ramp had buckled under pressure and cost the previous government millions of dollars to rectify. According to the government back then, the contractor, BK International, had provided sub-standard work, but BK maintained that the government had deviated from the original design submitted by the company for the construction of the facility.
Then there was the issue of stone shortage, where again former Minister Benn accused the company of being unable to supply enough stone to complete works which were ongoing, as well as other orders by contractors for the completion of government projects.
It was against that backdrop that the Ramotar administration moved to import stone, which BK International publicly stated was not up to their standard. The latest battle between the Ramotar government and BK International had to do with the construction of a section of the East Bank Demerara four-lane highway.
The government, on its part, accused the company of moving very slowly to complete its section of the road, while the company hosted a media tour of the project and pointed to the presence of infrastructure belonging to utility companies GT&T and GWI which was along the areas it needed to carry out works.
BK stated that the government had failed to negotiate properly with the utility companies to have them relocate their infrastructure so that the road works could go ahead. The biggest fallout over that project was the presence of a single utility pole which belonged to GT&T.