Govt. does not want scrutiny of Amaila - Ramjattan

Govt. does not want scrutiny of Amaila – Ramjattan

Jul 27, 2013 News

The decision to not entertain questions from the media during Thursday’s stakeholders’ meeting on the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project should never have happened, according to Opposition party, Alliance For Change (AFC).
During the party’s weekly press conference yesterday at Sidewalk Café, Middle Street, AFC ‘s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that it is clear that Government does not want “scrutiny”.

AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

The project, which Government says will cost US$840M to build, has been mired in controversy and delays, especially with its costs.
Recently, the Opposition voted down two key Bills, and the administration warned that it is in jeopardy.
“They do not want scrutiny. That is the whole point of this project,” Ramjattan said.
The Member of Parliament, whose party controls seven seats, pointed to arguments by two leading financial analysts, Christopher Ram and Ramon Gaskin, who earlier this week said that the project does not guarantee less blackouts or lower tariffs.
As a matter of fact, it will end up costing Guyana over US$2B during the 20 years it will be managed by the developer, Sithe Global.
“It is just madness. And the rule of the thumb is when you have Government not wanting to be scrutinized, they got corruption behind this.”
According to the MP, he has received information that Pakistan is planning to build facility of just over 140 megawatts that will cost US$400M.
Ramjattan was suspicious that there may be some “senior officials” who will make big money from the project as it is. Both Ram and Gaskin wants the project to be pulled back, reviewed and retendered.
“This thing could very well be a rip-off.”
The politician pointed out that when Government does not want to prudently wait on a critical study from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and is pressuring the National Assembly to pass legislations in favour of the project… then the “inference is corruption”.
Another AFC’s MP, Cathy Hughes, also expressed surprise that media houses were not allowed to field questions.
“The role of the media…is to supply information to the people.”
She said that to host a stakeholder forum geared to sell the hydro project to the people of Guyana and not allow them to raise issues, is quite baffling.
“…I would have thought it important for the media to understand.”
She made comparisons to the US, where the President’s office at the White Office would be hosting one-on-one sessions to clear the air on the projects and issues.
“Whether newspapers, internet, TV, radio… really, this is a disservice to one of our primary stakeholders who provide Guyana with important information.”
On Thursday, Junior Minister of Finance, Juan Edghill, who was chairing the forum at the Guyana International Conference Center, Liliendaal, declined to have the media answer questions.
In his defense yesterday, he said that he merely advised the media to make use of the “several opportunities that are available to them on a weekly basis to ask their questions”.
His exact words were, “I would not be taking questions from the media. The media has sufficient and enough opportunities to field all their questions. It would be improper for me to have three hundred-plus stakeholders at a forum and then I am taking questions from the media which they have opportunities -three, four, five times a week-to do.”