President of CGT Contractors & Development, Larry Treco told the Bahama Journal Tuesday that the apparent inadequate supply of sand in the capital last week affected his projects “quite a bit,” particularly, he said, in areas like plastering and block laying.
“The sand shortage has affected the industry to quite an extent,” he said. “Last week, we had to delay some of our operations. Luckily, we were able to get some sand a few days later and when this happened, we stockpiled. So, we are not in too bad a position at this point, but should the shortage continue, it would create a lot of problems for the construction industry.”
But according to Captain James Curling, General Manager of the Country Sand Depot Ltd, Arawak Cay, while there has been a sand shortage in the capital over the past several weeks, the problem has since been resolved.
“Our stockpile recently ran short because of the bad weather we were having,” Mr. Curling said. “During the winter when a low pressure system develops, ground swells roll that disturb our dredging off Rose Island. But I have no major complaints from persons in the construction industry.”
On Tuesday, there was no shortage of complaints from industry workers who spoke to the Journal.
Tharon Penn, foreman of Penn’s Renovation and Construction, said his company has also suffered a setback in business for almost two weeks now, a situation that has forced him to lay off at least two of his crewmembers.
Mr. Penn explained: “I’m getting sand now but [not] the quantity I’d like. I’m building a few homes and the progress on those jobs has been drastically decreased. I cannot complete a phase and consequently I cannot pay some of the guys.”
Penn’s Renovation and Construction, pays $180 per truckload of sand to its suppliers.
Meanwhile, despite assurances by some that the situation has been resolved, Managing Director of Jones Construction Company, Mervin Jones, insists the problem continues.
“I checked with my supplier this morning (Tuesday) who told me that they were still having problems with the sand supply,” Mr. Jones said. “I have had to delay three out of four of my projects. I just can’t meet my deadline. I even had to let some of my workers stay home until things pick up – until more sand arrives.”
The contractors’ comments were strongly supported by President of the Bahamas Truckers & Heavy Equipment Association, Louis Deveaux, Tuesday, who indicated that truckers have had to tow lines between 2am and 3am for sand at the Arawak Cay depot, sometimes leaving without “getting one grain of sand.”
“Is this progress or regress?” he questioned. “This is crippling our economy. Block companies are unable to produce blocks, concrete companies are unable to produce concrete, countless individuals are out of work and…children are going hungry because their bread winners are without a pay cheque. These are all as a direct result of the unavailability of sand.”
But Mr. Curling said, “I have never seen a trucker who has not received a load of sand if he is in line by 2:30am.”
Mr. Deveaux also pointed to what he called the increasing and unfair cost of sand.
Captain Curling also refuted claims of the increasing cost of sand, pointing out that in 1992, sand was sold for $10 per ton and more than 10 years later, the price remains.
He instead hinted that a price increase is needed.
General Manager of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) Troi Ferguson said earlier this week that BAIC has identified an additional source for sand.
“We have gone to the Ministry of Works to test the sand,” said Mr. Ferguson, who was a guest on the Love 97 Radio Programme “Issues of The Day” on Monday. “We’ve gone to Lands and Surveys to set aside some land areas at Arawak Cay.
“We are looking to the [Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission] to determine what are the environmental concerns and basically we are trying to [encourage business persons to get involved] in the excavation and mining of sand as an alternative to what’s there now at Arawak Cay.”
The availability of sand is important to a projected improvement in the construction industry.
Minister of State for Finance James Smith recently foreshadowed that there is a stable trend in the industry, reflecting a balance between increased investments in new projects and the completion of works carried over from 2002.
“We have the Kerzner International Phase III, the Container Port expansion in Freeport and a number of major tourism projects in Nassau and the Family Islands,” the Minister said. “Taken together, we are likely to witness a renewed momentum in the construction sector in 2004. And the demand for second homes by non-Bahamians in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands is expected to strengthen this year as well.”
Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
