BARAMA Company Limited is positioning itself at the forefront of Guyana’s sustainable construction sector by embracing new building technologies, expanding local manufacturing and creating employment opportunities while supporting the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Speaking during the International Building Expo, General Manager of Barama Company Limited, Mohindra Chan, said the future of infrastructure development must be centred on innovation, sustainability and smarter building solutions that create safer environments and improve quality of life.
“A strong foundation for a sustainable future means building with new technology and smart solutions,” Chan said, noting that this is the direction the construction industry must take.
He explained that while Barama has been involved in plywood production and logging for the past 35 years, the company underwent a major transformation a decade ago by shifting its primary focus to manufacturing.
That transition, he said, has opened up new opportunities for Guyana while aligning the company with national development policies and environmental goals.
“One of the big buzzwords around for the last two decades plus is sustainable forest management, and of course, the Low Carbon Development Strategy. Many may ask, what’s the relevance of plywood manufacturing to this goal?” Chan said.
He noted that Guyana’s forests contain more than 1,000 species of tropical trees and that, despite the country being more than 80 per cent forested, only a limited number of species are commercially utilised because many remain insufficiently studied.
Using Baromalli as an example, Chan explained that the timber has traditionally been used mainly as form boards in construction, which are typically discarded after temporary use.
“Well, we’ve discovered Baromalli. Traditionally, and even up to today, the only other use for Baromalli is form board. When you’re finished with the form board, what do you do with it? You dispose of it. That is not sufficient value; that’s a disposable product that you utilise,” he said.
By manufacturing plywood from the species, Barama has created a higher-value product while making better use of Guyana’s forest resources.
Chan also highlighted the company’s sustainable harvesting practices, noting that only trees which have reached their maturity age of more than 60 years are harvested for timber.
He said responsible forest management remains critical to protecting Guyana’s environment while supporting the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.
Beyond environmental sustainability, Chan pointed to the company’s growing economic contribution through job creation.
According to him, Barama’s manufacturing operations now employ approximately 400 people directly, with women accounting for about half of the workforce.
“It’s a labour-intensive industry, but our process has allowed and created opportunities for at least 50 per cent women, and a lot of those women are single-parent women,” he said.
Chan added that every sheet of plywood purchased supports local employment while strengthening Guyana’s manufacturing sector through the purchase of locally sourced timber and other inputs.
He further noted that the company’s operations currently support communities in Regions One, Two, Six and Ten, with opportunities for future expansion into Regions Seven and Eight.
