Another white elephant looms

Oct 05, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Every working Guyanese must repay $317,500 with interest for a US$835 million Amaila hydro project
Donald Ramotar reportedly said at the PPP’s Albion rally that the PPP will focus on energy. He must have been speaking of wind energy, a lot of which was generated at that rally.
Given the PPP’s platform will focus on energy and infrastructure, I intend to examine these two issues for the Guyanese people in upcoming letters to the editor.
Ramotar reportedly said the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project has good prospects for cheap energy and can take Guyana to the next level. I don’t know if Ramotar takes a shot of that intoxicating stuff DDL and Banks DIH produce before speaking but I don’t think I have ever heard more nonsense being spun as nonsense.
Kaieteur News recently reported the Amaila Falls project is now at US $835 million and counting. Fip Motilall has not even finished the road to start building the project and this project is already a staggering burden on the Guyanese people.
Minus the US $200 million Sithe Global is putting into Amaila Falls, the Guyanese people are on the hook for US $635 million to date and not one stone has been turned as yet. At this rate, this project will cost over US $1 billion. Nuff pockets will be filled. Nuff taxpayers’ money will be wasted.
President Jagdeo said the PNC spent US $300 million on its Mazaruni project with nothing to show for it. Well, the PPP has spent or has committed to spend US $635 million of the Guyanese people money on this project with nothing to show for it. Don’t these two parties look, behave and make a fool of themselves all the same?
I estimate that at this rate and given how the cost is jumping more than a jumping jack rabbit, the PPP will spend US $1 billion of the Guyanese people money on this project by the time it is finished. If you thought you had severe headaches paying your mortgage for that house built on that overpriced house lot the PPP government sold you, then you should brace yourself for this one. It will be bigger and badder than all the financial headaches you are having.
What will you get for paying more than US$1 billion for a hydroelectric project that is ridiculously overpriced? You will get the power plant in 20 years. Anyone living in Guyana knows that anything that is older than one year built by the PPP will fall apart. By the time the Guyanese people get this hydropower plant in 20 years, that person will need to blow it up and build another one. The Skeldon factory is a lesson we should all remember.
The people in the sugar belt know that harsh lesson too well. 400,000 working Guyanese must each repay $317,500 with interest for a US $835 million power plant. If that plant ends up costing the Guyanese taxpayers US $1 billion, then each working Guyanese must repay $500,000 with interest. The Guyanese people already have enough debts. This is the shocking price each of you must pay for the PPP’s incompetence, corruption, mismanagement and atrocious decision-making.
If you thought the 33% income taxes, 16% VAT and high cost of living were more than enough to pay for cheap electricity, you’d better think again. These guys have a US$1 billion white elephant coming that will make Skeldon look like an ant.
M. Maxwell

Latest News

Another white elephant looms

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

National Indoor Recurve Archery tournament to shoot off from January...

GDF ‘A’ crowned GFF/Maid Marian Women’s Cup...

Harpy Eagles to bowl off practice games ahead of...

Former British Guiana footballer Alvin Geronimo...

Guyanese MMA star Harris set for octagon return...

GCF Calls Urgent Extraordinary General Meeting to...

Features/Columnists

Boxing should be banned

Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves

2024 – more reflections

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Another white elephant looms

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]