MR. EUSI Kwayana, in his letter dated December 21, 2011 seized upon one word, “capacity”, in a Press Release of the EU Delegation to attack me and my company, BK International Inc. This is not the first time he has done so and since he has little work to do in the USA, where he comfortably resides and drawing benefits from a country he never served.
He harbours a permanent and pathological dislike for me and my business, by being an Indian businessman, and so it is difficult for him to pass up an opportunity to attack, even opportunistically dredging up a matter he complained about unsuccessfully to the Ombudsman 19 years ago.
But he still dredges it up in a deliberate muck-raking style to reinforce attempts to poison people’s minds about my business.

It is difficult for someone like Mr. Kwayana to understand that a simple Indian man has risen to owning the largest construction company in the country, the largest shipping company in the country and the  largest quarry in the English speaking Caribbean.

This same simple Indian man also has in his employ 80% Afro-Guyanese staff.  This same simple Indian man will soon show the public that we will be the largest producer of agriculture products in Guyana.

The fact of the matter is that I, together with others, have built up a large business starting from humble beginnings and have taken the risks and put in the hard work necessary to make it successful.

It is also true that I am a supporter of the present ruling party and have been so even before I entered business.  This is my constitutional rights and I make no apologies for this.

But I wish to state categorically that I have never won a contract where my prices are above that of other bidders and BK International has also never requested variations for any of its contracts.

Every contract that BK International has won is always on the basis of lowest price and best capacity.  This is a matter of records.

I also still have to fight to get contracts and to compete with other contractors and nothing is given to me on a platter.

Mr Kwayana who has a long memory would know that during the PNC Regime (I think he served the PNC after the PPP, before going to the WPA, before going to comfortable exile in the USA) there was only one contractor for legal work – Clarke/Martin, one for auditing – Stoll/Thomas, and for construction, engineering, consultancy – George Henry & Associates, Torrington & Torrington Ltd, and C.A.  Liburd & Associates.

I have not read anything where he wrote long letters about the above.  But things have changed and now you have to compete and you have to have capacity.  And when it comes to capacity, BK International Inc. has a lot of it more than any other contractor in this country and even more than the foreign contractors who want to come here and work.
We have more plant and equipment than any other local competitor and have also created more new employment both skilled and unskilled, than any other company since our existence.
We invested heavily in the Quarry business to ensure that stone is supplied at reduced rates when others failed, and we made considerable investment in shipping, tugs and barges.
We have invested more than US$10, 000, 000 in the Quarry business and at the same time reduced prices by 50 % from G$12, 000 per ton to G$6, 000 per ton for quarry products, which were being imported, prior to our involvement, at a higher price.
This administration stopped the importation of quarry products  which created the opportunity for local investment in this industry. To develop capacity one needs to have vision and the courage to invest. We have done that because we have confidence in this country.
We do not wish to be boastful  and blow our own trumpets but that is the fact, plain and simple. We also have a track record of successfully completing many projects. But it has become fashionable for  retired and armchair politicians and commentators to attack us.
Does Mr Kwayana know that this company was charged G$20, 000, 000 liquidated damages by the Minister of Works for being one week late in the 8th EDF Sea Defence works?.

We are not going to be the whipping boy of the disgruntled and we will defend ourselves and our company. In conclusion ,  I wish to state that if anyone has evidence of wrong doing they should bring it forward.
Mr Kwayana is a Guyanese and it is a pity that he seems to thrive on promoting racial segregation rather than promoting racial cohesiveness among the Guyanese people.