Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud met yesterday with the board of directors of BOSAI, during which they discussed matters pertaining to the company’s expansion in Linden, Region Ten.
Minister Persaud said that BOSAI is on the verge of a major expansion in Linden and government is in the process of finalising the company’s prospecting licence for the Block 37 area.
“This will allow the company to have access to a greater amount of ore so that they can continue to mine…this will enable them to invest in the new areas,” Minister Persaud said.
He added that government needed to ensure that the plans for the company are on stream because a shareholder government has to make certain that its commitments are met, more importantly the community of Region 10 can look forward to an expansion which will yield benefits for them.
“The principals are here from China…we are pleased with the progress being made so far…we see a continued commitment by the company in this regard,” Minister Persaud said.
He added that the first phase of investment will see the company injecting more than US$57M which is significant.
“The company will be spending significant sums to resolve the major environmental issue of dust trapping… the process of the installation of dust trapping activities are more than 90% completed and within the space of two weeks two other components will be brought in that dust trapping mechanism will be fully in place… the EPA will be finalising an agreement with the company on Wednesday, “Minister Persaud said.
Minister Persaud said that government has realised that even though development comes at a price and expansion is seen by the company in the region, although it will create jobs for Lindeners and bring an increase in foreign exchange, they will ensure that environmental standards are met.
BOSAI’s Company Secretary, Norman Mc Lean said that the company is committed to the expansion of its project at Linden and the production of two new products with the introduction of the new areas.
He said the company is concerned with the well-being of Linden community and its environment.
Christopher Ram fingered in backtracking scam:
ReplyDeleteBut did agents really investigate? Our investigation suggests that the counterfeit ring may still be in business.
"I'm scared," Lolita Latchman said, breaking down in tears at the thought of being deported to the politically volatile South American country of Guyana. She and her husband fled to the US in 2005 after Affraz Ally's brother and cousin were murdered.
She said she was threatened.
They settled in Richmond Hill, Queens with their daughter. A son was born a couple of years later. Ally works as a plumber. Lolita works as a babysitter. They pay taxes, but they did not have legal documents and have been fighting the deportation process for years. Denied political asylum, enter a man who called himself Christopher Ram.
She said he told them that they could get both a social security card and a green card.
WALLCE: "You actually thought he was an immigration officer."
LOLITA: I asked him how are you going to get these documents? And he said he is working at 26 Federal Plaza.
WALLACE: "Why would you think this was legitimate?"
LOLITA: "Because he is working in there, so I believe he is going to get it done correctly."
They say he showed them samples with laminated holograms.
WALLACE: "In other words, you didn't think you were getting fake documents just to stay in the country?"
LOLITA: "No, I think it is a real document."
WALLACE: "So all told you paid him how much?"
LOLITA: "$11,000." $11,000."
Then Chris' cell phone number was changed. The couple volunteered to help Immigration agents bust the counterfeit ring during a meeting their attorney set up in January.
"They came back to us and said, 'We are just not interested in pursuing this right now. We get a lot of complaints like this,'" attorney Angelo MacDonald said.
We talked to James Hayes, the Special Agent in charge for Investigations at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
WALLACE: If they're offering information about a phony document ring that appears to be continuing, isn't it important to keep them around as the source?
HAYES: "In terms of whether or not we're going to need them for future purposes, we do not believe in this instance that information is of the nature we need them in the future."
Hayes says the information the family provided was investigated, but how much? Just this week Lolita got a new cell phone number for Chris, who texted her back and said he could get a friend of hers work documents. We saw the messages.
Lolita said he told her this week that he could get a green card and a social security number.
His partner, he texted, worked in immigration, and he offered to set up a meeting.
"Chris said he's the one who works in immigration," Lolita said.
But no one showed up.
On Friday, Lolita has been ordered to show up at Kennedy airport to be deported to Guyana. It's a one-way ticket. Her children will come with her and her husband will follow.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=8224263