Pursuing questionable development programmes

Aug 10, 2013 Editorial

Development is never a straight line process. There are always starts and stutters, and sometimes these stutters appear to stall the development process. There have been many perceived development programmes, many of which have been seriously questioned by the people who have to pay for them.
Three of them in recent times have been the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion project and the Marriott Hotel project. All of them have been questioned and with each question the government has bristled as if to say that people should not ask questions.
They all cost millions of dollars, which the Guyanese people will have to repay over time, and with that repayment, comes the interest. The Marriott attracted questions and criticisms because many in the society believe that it is a needless project given that existing hotels do not enjoy full rooms or even overcrowding.
Indeed, there is the view that the Marriott is more or less a challenge to the Pegasus which went to someone that the present administration abhors. The former President Bharrat Jagdeo described it as rundown and smelly facility that is not fit for visitors. This comment did not go down well given that the very Pegasus has been the flagship hotel for nearly fifty years.
To this day, although the spotlight has not been on the Marriott, there are many unanswered questions. The nation is still unaware of the private investors, if any, although the project is advanced.
The project that has attracted the most criticism has been the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project. For one, it has been seen to be the most costly hydroelectric project in the world. The critics have provided statistics to support their argument and the government has not offered any serious explanation.
What the project has done is to split the combined opposition. At least parliament has cleared the way for the project to continue, although there is a cap on the loan ceiling. All this means at this time is that the nation is not in a position to provide coverage for the repayment of all monies that will go into the project.
When the National Assembly voted on the two Bills that had previously been defeated there was a clear signal that something had nudged the Alliance For Change in the direction of its vote. It might have been a closing of ranks against an expose of its chairman and his role in the hydro project. Whatever the case, any criticism at this time would mean nothing to the builders of the project.
One would now expect that the project would proceed full speed ahead to its conclusion some three years hence. The nation is now awaiting financial closure for the project. This has already been delayed and there has not been any satisfactory reason.
Sithe Global, the contractors, did say nearly two years ago, that financial closure needed to be achieved pretty quickly to avoid the project becoming more costly in the event that the Chinese currency should appreciate.
The government has been saying that the later it borrows the money the lower would be the interest repayment. That should now be of academic interest to the nation. Parliament has voted on two Bills that were said to hinder the acceleration of the project.
The other development project that has attracted national attention has been the airport expansion programme. Looking at that project from this perspective, one would be tempted to conclude that it is a waste of money. Not many aircraft are coming to Guyana. To build the airport to attract aircraft is something that would cause raised eyebrows.
The project entails the construction of eight air bridges when most other airports have less and do not even use all of them. The parliamentary opposition has been questioning this thing and the government has not been budging.
Whatever the case, Guyana on the surface would have projects that would be way ahead of the country’s development.

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Pursuing questionable development programmes

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