Gov’t to expand capacity for production of  asphaltic concrete to enhance Road works

GINA, GUYANA, Thursday, January 19, 2017

The government is seeking to expand its capacity to produce asphaltic concrete for the country. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, today disclosed that a technical team led by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson is in discussion with German asphalt producing company on ways and means of expanding the government’s capacity to produce asphaltic concrete.

The Minister who was briefing the  media today at a post Cabinet meeting at the Ministry of Presidency said that, Cabinet has given it’s no objection for a  team of officials to visit the engineering plants of Benninghoven GmbH and Company in Frankfurt, Germany from January 17 to January 25, 2017.

The Benninghoven GmbH and Company is a member company of the Wirtgen Group, which manufactures road equipment including granulators and asphalt plants both mobile and stationary. “It collaborates with the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) and produces approximately 70 percent of Guyana’s asphalt concrete,” Minister Trotman revealed.

The company includes the five well-known brands, Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann and Benninghoven with their headquarters in Germany and local production sites in Brazil, India and China.

Since it came to office in 2015 the government has taken initiatives to ensure the sustainability of infrastructure by ensuring budgetary allocations towards the rehabilitation and maintenance of the nation’s roads.

In order to ensure that the works are executed in a proper manner the Ministry of Public Infrastructure through the Transport and Harbours Department was responsible for the management and operation of the DHBC asphalt plant that produces asphalt concrete for road works.

The DHBC which now operates without government’s assistance will continue to provide asphaltic concrete for road works across Guyana.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur