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Pres. Ali defends U.S. multi-million-dollar GTE deal with troubled contractor
…says tender process was above board
(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali on Friday defended the US multi-million-dollar contract with Lindsayca, the American energy company working on the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project saying the company was not handpicked but awarded the contract through a public tender process.
At his first press conference for the year, President Ali was questioned on whether he believes Lindsayca is the right partner for the GTE project located at Wales West Bank Demerara.
President Irfaan Ali at the Office of the President on Friday.
In response to a question posed by Kaieteur News, the Head-of-State said, “Lindsayca came through a public process, first of all. It was a public tender. The president of Guyana or nobody didn’t go and select Lindsayca, it came through a public process.”
The Wales GTE project, which includes the construction of a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and a 300-megawatt (MW) power plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara, has faced mounting criticisms over delays and escalating costs.
This publication had reported that when Lindsayca landed an almost billion-dollar contract, the entity was bankrupt, faced with several lawsuits, over allegations of money laundering and other questionable business dealings. Kaieteur News’ research also revealed that Lindsayca lacked a basic requirement to qualify for the project – experience in constructing a project of such magnitude.
A careful examination of the company’s financials between 2016 and 2019 revealed that Lindsayca was drowning in debt to the tune of millions of US-dollars. Lindsayca, as per the pre-qualification and bidding process that started with the Request For Proposals (RFP) in September 2021 and concluded with bid submissions in September 2022 was required to submit three years of financial statements to the government of Guyana (GoG) to ensure the company was in good standing.
A recent aerial view of the Wales Gas-to-Energy site.
Independent commentator, Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram reviewed the financials seen by this newspaper and concluded that the company was under “significant financial strain, with issues that go directly to liquidity, sustainability, and the reliability of what is being reported.”
For his part, President Ali noted, “Our intention is to work with all the stakeholders to have this project completed and to ensure that our people have the benefit of a cut in electricity rate by 50 per cent.”
He noted however, that his administration is not happy that the project has far gone beyond the initial deadline. “We wanted this project to be completed as quickly as possible, but that is the reality that is before us. They had various challenges. We are not happy and we said that before. But we have to now take this project to the end. That is the priority. The priority is finishing this project in the interests of Guyana and the Guyanese people,” President Ali added.
Moreover, he pointed to a recent statement from the Office of the Prime Minister on the project. “There was a press release by the prime minister’s office…[he] outlined very clearly what are the new commitments in terms of the timeline, what will come on stream before the end of the year, the power that will come on stream in the first quarter of next year…” Ali said.
The Prime Minister’s office in its statement said that substantial progress has been recorded in works at the site thus far, with stringent milestones set moving forward, following an agreement with Lindsayca Guyana Inc. to bring the first power turbine online by the end of 2026. It said this will be followed by all gas turbines which are expected to be fully commissioned by the first quarter of 2027 and the combined cycle operation to be completed by June 2027.
The statement said that “failure to meet these milestones will allow the government to re-instate liquidated damages against the contractor.”
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THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
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Sir. Ronald Sanders
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Dear Editor, this is a letter to Presiedent Ali, PM Mark Phillps and the Leader of the Opposition Parties in Parliament.
President Ali, PM Mark Phillips and the leader of the Parliamentary Opposition party must demand to know, how, when and who verify the company information submitted by Lindsayca to get this contract of almost billion-dollar.
The PM, the leader of the Opposition and all MPs must call for and set up urgently an all party’s forensic investigation into the process use to qualify Lindsayca and who was involved to review Lindsayca documents submitted to the Guyana Government Agencies, to build the the gas to shore project in Guyana.
You know, the late Dr. Cheddie B. Jagan and former president of Guyana said this,’that if you have filth\shit infront of your house door, you must clean it and do not cover it up with paper. Because every time breeze blow and lift the paper, the smell will spread and affect you and all person in the house’.
I want to thank the Kaieteur News Media to help expose this alleged flawed process use to grant this contract.
There should be a live public debate in parliament and the setting up of an all party Committee to do a forensic investigation on this project, as soon as possible.
All for Honesty, Prudency, Law & Order and Social Justice.
Guyana come First. Not Party or person.
Thank you.
Wales Sugar Worker