Government censures Kaieteur News for biased reportage - labels latest prevarication ‘continued misrepresentations’
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Sunday, 26 February 2012 00:16
Source - Guyana Chronicle
The government late yesterday issued a statement condemning the Kaieteur News for doggedly discrediting the administration at every turn, but most importantly for insinuating that the September 30, 2011 deal struck between itself and ANSA McAl in relation to proposed ethanol explorations here was not above board. The following is the full text of the statement:
THE Government of Guyana (GoG) rejects the continued misrepresentation of the Kaieteur News of the various government projects and initiatives which seek to transform the country, the latest being the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Guyana and the Ansa McAL Group on exploring the possibility of ethanol production in Guyana.
The Government of Guyana has recognised the importance of energy security, and took the initiative of hosting the Caribbean’s first forum on expanding Bio Energy Opportunities in the Caribbean of August 2007.
This forum resulted in the Inter-American Development Bank partnering with the GoG through a technical cooperation to expand Bio Energy Opportunities in Guyana. In July 2010, the GoG, through public tendering, awarded a contract to NUMARK Associates Inc. of the United States for the Service Consultancy to expand Bio Energy Opportunities in Guyana.
As part of the Terms of Reference, NUMARK was tasked with compiling a list of potential Bio Energy Investors who may be interested in investing in Guyana.
Based on the NUMARK’s report and the proposals received from investors, ANSA McAl was selected after their proposal was scrutinised by technical experts in the field of Bio Energy, which was subsequently approved and signed on September 30, 2011 and witnessed by representatives of the Government and ANSA McAL.
To suggest this was a secret deal is not only misleading, but a gross misrepresentation of the reality and part of the continued campaign to cast aspersions on the PPP/C Government. It must be recalled that similar accusations were made in relation to the impending project to modernise and expand the airport; the plan to construct the Marriot Hotel; and the ongoing One Laptop Per Family project.
In all of these cases, the accusation of lack of transparency was refuted. All of these projects were developed through a public procurement process. The Government challenges any publication or political group to show where these projects were done in secret and were not consistent with our various laws and regulations.
February 25, 2012
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