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Haier service centre opens – stands ready to carry out contractual obligations for OLPF programme

Georgetown GINA, February 17, 2012
Source - GINA

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Yu Wenzhe, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Haier's local representative Brian James in the Haier Service Centre, Middle St.

The Haier Service Centre was officially opened today at Middle Street, Georgetown next to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. Heading the local office of the international company is Nyal Jodhan, Brian James and a small group of executives.

The Service centre is set to carry out the contractual obligations for the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme which Haier had promised on receiving the contract to provide 27,000 laptops for Guyanese. The centre is seen as the start of the assembly line for Haier technology in Guyana.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, performing the duties of President expressed the Government’s faith that the company will deliver its promise. He reiterated Government’s determination that no Guyanese, young or old, should be computer illiterate, or without knowledge or access to training on how to use one.

Government intends to deliver one Haier net-book to 90,000 of 250,000 Guyanese families who have not been able to provide themselves with a computer, as well at put systems in place for training.

Mr. Hinds noted that, “we recognise there will be some amount of losses, but we want to encourage every one to discover and learn something.”

He urged Guyanese to become as skilled as they can be in the use of the computer, and posited that natural skill and talent will show itself during this period.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the pervasiveness of Information Technology and computers in people’s lives whether it be in leisure, pleasure, education, employment, and self employment, as such, “we will certainly look for our growth and development in these areas,” he emphasised.

He also challenged Guyanese to take an example from the Chinese and produce goods and services of a high quality, pointing out that this would be “a testimony to the kind of people we are. The progress of the Chinese is a challenge to us,” the Prime Minister noted.

Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe and Businessman Eddie Boyer among the attendees at the Opening of Haier's service Centre

Meanwhile Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Yu Wenzhe noted that the opening of the service centre is another happy occasion of cooperation between China and Guyana. “As part of the OLPF programme, we hope that we will together be able to advance technology and equipment, and what’s more, we are happy to learn that Haier will expand their corporation here and in the not to far future. We wish to see the Haier world product made in Guyana,” he added
Haier is the largest technological appliance manufacturer in the world and through innovation and quality, have familiar international brand names such as General Electric and Seimens among others. The company hopes to carry on the tradition in Guyana.

In approximately 18 months, Guyana will see the beginning of Haier setting up a facility to manufacture laptops, computers and TV screens. There will eventually be a Haier Industrial Park set up here in about five years’ time.

According to Haier’s local representative Brian James, the assembly line has already begun to come in, and “we will be moving steadily forward to bring innovation and valued progress to the Guyanese public. We hope to take advantage of our bilateral relations with Brazil and UNASUR and Guyana, so we will be able to say ‘Made in Guyana’ very proudly and carry on the position of Haier with quality and innovation. This opening is to the future beginning to Haier, of a global step forward for Guyana,” he stated.

The local representatives are now going through the modalities of finding suitable land. The timeline is about 18 months, and the investment will be US $10M.

The initial scope for employment will be for about 500 persons, but there will be a lot more people involved. The total employment potential will be in the thousands. The assembly line will begin with laptops and computers.


Meanwhile, while 11,000 Haier netbooks have already been distributed, there have only been 220 returned for servicing. There will be arrangements put in place for three mobile service units to be sent out once monthly to interior locations.

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