Putting Guyana First

Aug 10, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is a saying which ran thus: ‘Community before self: Nation before community.”
What is implied in that saying is that we must always strive to eschew narrow thinking and always put the interest of the country before narrow partisan interest.
The current impasse over the Amalia Falls Hydro-electric power project is a case in point. From all accounts, the project is considered good for Guyana. The project is transformative in nature and when becomes operational will catapult the country into a regional powerhouse doing for Guyana what oil and natural gas is doing for Trinidad and Tobago.
One would have thought that given the earth-shattering nature of this project and its impact on national development that there would have been national consensus on the viability and long term sustainability of the project by all stakeholders, more so the political opposition since the benefits that would accrue from the project transcends the boundaries of partisan politics.
Yet all manner of roadblocks were placed in front of the project in an attempt to score political points and to flex political muscle based on a perceived dominance in the body-politic following the November 2011 elections.
Sithe Global a major financier of the project must be commended for presenting to the Guyanese public a number of convincing and unassailable facts why the project should be embraced by all including the political opposition. In a letter to the press by Brian Kubeck, President of that organization enlightened the public on the beneficial nature of the project.
“Sithe Global strongly believes that the project will have lasting and profound benefits for the country by delivering improved electricity, reliability and cost savings versus the status quo. The maths is simple: In 2012, GPL’s cost of generating electricity was over 19 cents per kilowatt hour. This price is amongst the highest prices paid for generated electricity in any part of the world. Government subsidies currently reduce the ultimate impact on the tariff paid by GPL’s 2012 cost as the project’s tariff is expected to average approximately 11 US cents per kilowatt.”
If the above is not convincing enough, then read what follows:
“ In the years 13 to 20 of operation, the Amaila project is expected to generate savings of 70% or US$1.15 billion (G$ 230 billion) compared to GPL’s 2012 cost, as the project’s tariff is expected to average 5.5 US cents per kilowatt hour.”
Unless someone is blinded by bias and prejudice, the case for the project has been brilliantly made especially when seen against the long-term benefits that will accrue to the country after the transfer of the project in about two decades of it becoming operational. This will further reduce the burden faced by taxpayers and bring down the cost of power to affordable limits. The current cost of electricity
despite hefty government subsidies are still onerous and is a disincentive in terms of manufacturing and agro-processing which is so vital for the country’s economic growth and development.
Mr. Brian Kubeck has done well to present to the Guyanese public in a clear and convincing manner the benefits that the project will deliver to the people of Guyana, both in the medium and long term. It is now left to the political opposition to re-think their stance on the issue and I respectfully suggest, give the benefit of the doubt to the technical personnel who have invested so much time and effort to make the dream of a large scale hydro-power a reality. I am convinced that much thought was put into the project both at the conceptual and design stages and the cost-benefit analysis of the project carefully and meticulously worked out.
At the time of writing this article there appeared to be some encouraging signals coming from the AFC which broke ranks with the APNU in its support for the Hydro-Electric Power Amendment Bill. Unfortunately, the Bill did not get the support from the main parliamentary opposition. In addition, a motion to increase the debt ceiling on external loans was approved with the support of the AFC.
One hopes that good sense will prevail and that there will be broad consensus by all major stakeholders, if only for the sake of the good and well-being of the people of Guyana and generations to come. Hydro-electric power in the context of our development is not an option but an imperative. The future of Guyana hinges in no small measure on its capacity to compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace where cheap and reliable energy is a key determinant.
Hydar Ally

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