President should take blame for GPL’s failures, cost overruns

Apr 06, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Despite the government and GPL being exposed of the Trinidad company planned selling to GPL of four used generators for US$40 Million, the cabinet is proceeding with the purchase. An engineer told me that the power generators have not worked for thirteen years and that GPL engineers are pressured to approve the purchase. The actual cost of the four used power generators is US$3 million, a difference in price of US $37M that is being sold to GPL.

The President read the riot act to GPL staff on its failure to provide reliable electricity. Why isn’t he holding himself accountable in approving the purchase of 17 used generators from Honduras by the same Trinidad company. Only five of the 17 were fixed and generating below capacity power. And now there is the planned approval by the President of the three used generators from Brazil overpriced by $US37M. A source at GPL said management issued a strict warning to staff not to divulge information on the purchase of used power generators and their failures and not to talk to the media. But information is obtained from a confidential source in the cabinet of the planned purchase of the used Brazilian generators. Why is money being wasted on used generators when we can purchase new generators for less from Texas? Something smells fishy. The Honduran generators were overpriced by $18 M and the Brazilian by $37. That’s is a total of US$55 million that can be used to raise teachers’ salary.

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