…NICIL says no feasible business plan presented

THE Guyana Stores building that formerly housed the Toucan Connection Call Centre in Linden in which scores of young Lindeners were employed before closure in 2015, remains empty and while many investors have expressed interest in setting up shop at the building, Region 10 officials are blaming the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) for holding up progress.

Lindeners were calling for Qualfon to establish a branch in Linden since recent announcement of its expansion and aggressive recruitment campaign. Regional Chairman, Renis Morian, however said that while Qualfon has not expressed interest, several other investors have done so and have put forward their business plans but to date, nothing has materialized, while the business centre continues to be dormant.

Speaking to Guyana Chronicle on the issue on Monday,a top Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) official who asked not to be named, said a section of the building has been handed over to LEN, which currently houses a car dealership and a security firm. The official told the Chronicle that several investors have seriously engaged LEN in renting the other sections and have presented extensive business proposals. “Nothing has been realized, however NICIL is holding the building hostage while awaiting payment from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for extensive repairs that were done.”

The official explained that the section LEN became custodian for underwent extensive repairs to the roof, while the other section remains exposed to the elements as a result of that side of the roof that is in a state of disrepair. “The roof needs changing, there are computers in there, furniture in there that is left to wet every day and you know what I am hurt about; people in Linden need jobs even if it is minimum wage,” the official said, adding “there are several correspondences to show that LEN expressed interest in engaging NICIL in the matter since investors are being turned away, while Linden continues to suffer, despite in dire need of development.

Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, in an invited comment said that the municipality is more than happy to see the building utilised since he personally engaged persons who have expressed interest but nothing has materialised. “I believe that there is some difficulty; I want to know why persons cannot access the facility, I want to know why?” Holland asked.

Chief Executive Officer of the NICIL, Horace James, however rubbished the claims that NICIL is holding the building hostage, but in fact said that the investors who have visited the facility and expressed interest have not presented feasible business plans thus far that can be passed by both the Ministry of Business (MoB) or GO INVEST. James said that NICIL has written the MoB informing them that the building is one of the few available in Linden for investment and has even organised visits- the latest being last week to the facility.
The CEO confirmed that NICIL had requested reimbursement from the MoF for funds utilised on the building but this is in no way hindering the process. “Anyone of those investors has to come up with a feasible business plan that will be passed.Up to Saturday we had a small group; two youngsters who started a call centre in Linden. I had made arrangements for them to visit but they have to come up with a plan,” James stressed, while adding that the onus is not on NICIL to decide which type of business should occupy the building but it’s up to the MoB.

In September of 2015, 90 employees of Toucan Connection Incorporated, a St Kitts-based company, were abruptly sent home after the company closed doors without even paying them severance packages. Many of those workers are still unemployed and were given many promises that they would be given first preference when another firm invests in the building.