Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Energy Dept. acting contrary to its policies – Jagdeo
The Department of Energy is failing terribly.
This is the firm belief of Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. He thinks that the department is even failing at the simple task of acting in harmony with its policies.
The politician said this at a press conference he hosted yesterday.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
Jagdeo acknowledged a briefing held earlier this week by the Department of Energy—it’s first for the year. During the referenced presser, Head of the Energy Department, Dr. Mark Bynoe spoke about the department’s many plans.
Yesterday, Jagdeo said that he noted “the Energy Department is suddenly talking about competitive bidding (for oil blocks); saying they wouldn’t sign off on excessive development cost (to be claimed by oil companies as cost oil); that the template for best practice PSA (Production Sharing Agreement) is completed and the Local Content policy will be finalized soon.”
Jagdeo questioned, “Is this just gaff? Shouldn’t the President or Minister say something about this?”
According to Jagdeo, the government has not been successful in making clear the authority of the Energy Department which was set up in the last half of last year.
The former President said that he is not sure if the positions stated by Dr. Bynoe are those of the executive or just the technical view of the department.
Jagdeo told the media, “We will have to clarify from them if these are government positions or Department of Energy. I saw the letter that the president wrote to all the organizations saying he should approve these things. (President Granger said) all matters relating to oil and gas should come to him and he, as the subject minister, will give approval. I would like to see the President
Energy Dept. Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe
say this openly.”
Speaking about the department not acting in harmony with its policies, Jagdeo pointed out that the Energy Department is saying it “would not sign off on development cost and then being so inept with looking at the development cost. (They are) not giving effect to any of these things, but I do not want to get more into their incompetence in the oil sector now, that is a topic for another day.”
Jagdeo then used the opportunity to note, “I saw the so called caucus that is meeting. I want to say once again to the public servants, if you get direction from this caucus ignore it totally.”
Jagdeo said that there is no law guiding the operation of a caucus but for a Cabinet “and the Chief Justice ruled that there is no Cabinet.” (Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)
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