Dear Editor,

MOHAMED’S Enterprise issued a press release in response to grumbling about it being contracted to construct government buildings. Mohamed Enterprise is known for gold mining. Not unexpectedly, some in the public feel it lacks skills in building construction.

Having mining skills should not exclude it from construction or other businesses. If a company has the ability and capacity to construct buildings for the state, then it should be given consideration for contracts. Consideration for contracts should be based on equitable and fair treatment of companies that put in bids or tenders. I do not know how many companies put in bids and their costs or competence. The state determines qualification criteria. The state determines ability, capacity, and competence and other criteria for construction.

Mohamed’s Enterprise provided evidence of its ability to construct buildings. I don’t think Mohamed Enterprise has a shortage of skills, labour, capital, and other resources to put up buildings. And as such, it should be considered for tenders or bids in construction or in other areas. Mr Mohamed, managing-director of the company, will not put up the building himself. He will contract a company and workers with the competence to carry out the task. The company will be held responsible and accountable for its work. Delivery of the product is how it should be judged, not a mining background.

What impresses me about Mohamed’s Enterprise is corporate social responsibility. I don’t know of other companies funding social and religious activities and donating to worthwhile causes. Recently, the company funded the studies of a youngster. I organised several cultural programmes in Guyana. I never approached Mohamed’s Enterprise to sponsor social or cultural programmes. I went to other Indian-owned companies appealing, pleading, begging for sponsorship of Indian cultural activities, including Phagwah and commemorating Indian Arrival. I came up empty-handed. The owners of two businesses on Water Street shockingly asked how their companies will benefit from donating to worthwhile causes or funding Indian cultural activities. And those two companies got billions of dollars in contracts from the government and also received land to build houses from which they earned billions of dollars. And they are still getting government contracts, although their specialty is not construction of buildings. They put up very good buildings.

If other companies that are not in construction can be given contracts to put up buildings, why not Mohamed’s Enterprise that has already put up several impressive buildings? The buildings will not be put up by gold diggers, but by experienced engineers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other competent construction workers. Mohamed’s Enterprise is qualified and competent and has unlimited resources to execute state-funded construction.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram