Govt. must be open to talks on Amaila Falls Project or else… Jagdeo warns
– claims Finance Minister misled the nation about the real facts on the project
By: Kiana Wilburg, November 9, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under News, Source
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo continues to disagree with the new Government’s perception that the Amaila Falls Hydro Project is not only an unsustainable and troubled developmental project but one that has failed before it even gets off the ground.
In fact, Jagdeo said that he is willing to help the government in understanding the project, one in which he and his colleagues truly believe would have been one of the hallmarks of the then PPP government had it not been curtailed by the APNU+AFC.
But should government fail to accept the former President’s invitations to talks, then he plans to take a next course of action.
He will take facts about the project to the people in hopes that the veil would be removed from their eyes, and the project’s potential for greatness would be as clear as day.
Jagdeo recalled that in August 2013, the then Opposition refused to support a national consensus on the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, despite years of hard work by successive PPP/C Governments in collaboration with international partners.
He said that the APNU+AFC government’s position on Amaila Falls was summarised during the debate on the 2015 Budget when Finance Minister Winston Jordan stood before the National Assembly and declared that to proceed with the Amaila Falls project would be “a downright criminal act of deception”.
The Minister had said that the Government’s “investigations” had revealed that GPL would be required to make annual payments amounting to US$130 million to the operators of the hydro facility, payments which will total US$2.6 billion over 20 years.
He had said, too, that the Government’s plans to not proceed with Amaila Falls were “strongly supported by the experts at the Inter-American Development Bank, who had considered the project to be too risky to attract the Bank’s financing.”
Jagdeo however holds the view that it is not the Amaila Falls project which is the “criminal deception”; he said that it is the Government’s willingness to mislead the public in pursuit of dubious political ends.
He said that this deception will condemn Guyanese to many more years of expensive electricity prices, and is already damaging the competiveness of “our private sector and our overall economy.”
The Opposition Leader said that it must be viewed against the backdrop of APNU and AFC Government Ministers awarding themselves a 50 percent pay rise while also receiving free electricity.
He said that the PPP/C will not stand by while lies are spread about the best chance the people have had for generations to access affordable, clean and reliable electricity.
“So today, we call on the Government to join with the PPP/C in a conversation around Amaila Falls that is based on reason and globally credible analysis. As a start, Minister Jordan should set the record straight, and apologise for his inaccurate remarks to the National Assembly concerning Amaila Falls. Then, if he and other members of the Government still want assistance, we stand ready to help them improve their understanding of the project,” said Jagdeo.
However, the Opposition Leader threatened that should the government not join with them, the PPP will instead take the discussion on electricity prices and the cost of living to the people village by village to explain the facts on the Amaila Falls.
Jagdeo said that his members will explain that the Government is being deceptive when they say that GPL will have to pay the operator of Amaila Falls US$130 million per year, totalling US$2.6 billion over 20 years.
He said that they will also show how serious the Government’s multiple deceptions are.
“For starters, the figure was not to be US$130 million per year, it was to be approximately US$100 million per year. That would have bought about 50 percent more power than GPL’s entire generation in 2012. To generate that much power without Amaila Falls would cost GPL almost $200 million using 2012 costs. So rather than Amaila Falls costing GPL US$130 million per year, it is saving GPL US$100 million per year – or put another way, Amaila Falls will generate 50 percent more electricity than was generated in 2012, for about half the cost,” said Jagdeo.
He added, “In short, instead of Amaila Falls costing GPL US$2.6 billion over 20 years, GPL would actually be saving almost US$2 billion, or GY$400 billion, at 2012 prices.”
The Opposition Leader said that he will also explain in detail how these savings can enable the costs of electricity to be dramatically reduced for Guyanese, and how after 20 years, the Amaila Falls Hydropower facility will be wholly owned by the citizens of Guyana without any debt being incurred.
He posited that a Guyana where no family needs to fear the arrival of their GPL bill is within reach.
The former President said, “Today’s low oil prices provide an ideal backdrop to move quickly with Amaila Falls, and to use the time of low oil prices to prepare for when they start going up again – as all global experts predict that they will. There is no more time to lose.”
He added, “That is why we want a discussion that will help the people of Guyana to look at Amaila Falls for themselves, and we will welcome the Government’s participation in this discussion.”
