Solar panel distribution in limbo

Apr 14, 2014 News

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai has disclosed that all of the solar panels which were expected to be distributed throughout several hinterland communities have not been delivered.
According to the Minister, although some Amerindian communities have been able to get, others remain without and she blamed the 2012 budget cuts for the slow pace of the distribution of the solar panels.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai

The situation was further compounded with the recent cuts to this year’s budgetary allocation.
The Minister told Kaieteur News that with the recent 2014 “cut” to the Amerindian Development Fund by the joint Parliamentary Opposition, her Ministry is trying to find ways to rectify the situation. According to the Minister, the joint opposition must be held accountable for putting Amerindians at a disadvantage.
The project falls under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which formed the basis of the five-year agreement between Guyana and Norway.
Under the agreement, Guyana will maintain low deforestation rate in exchange for money from the European economic powerhouse.
Several months ago Government had said that they were procuring solar panels for Amerindian homes – a project which former President Bharrat Jagdeo had said would come from the release of the first tranche funds from Norway.
Cabinet had announced that they had approved the procurement of up to 11,000 65W Solar Home Systems under the Hinterland Electrification Programme.
Jagdeo had stated that the first tranche of the Norway funds – US$30 million – will go towards demarcating Amerindian lands and fitting every Amerindian home with solar panels over a two-year period.
An estimated 135 Amerindian communities that were without electricity, were expected to benefit from the project. The programme would cover installation costs, transportation, wiring, light fittings, maintenance and management training. The households which would benefit from the project would have to pay a monthly maintenance fee.
Under a previous Unserved Areas Electrification Project (UAEP), selected villages with less than 1, 000 residents were fitted with solar panels.
The programme is aimed at rectifying the age long problem of Amerindian communities without electricity. It was noted that by providing access to clean and renewable energy throughout hinterland communities it would significantly contribute to Guyana’s overall Low Carbon Development Strategy.
According to the Ministry, the solar home systems will provide each home with power for lighting, small household app