Politicians must not allow Amaila to become another Skeldon Plant or Berbice Bridge – Dr. Janette Bulkan

“Even if late in the day, now is the time to have expert independent input and check on the project developer’s figures, to inform the members of all political parties in the National Assembly and civil society in general.  It is surely not acceptable for the Government to try to co-opt individuals by taking them into private meetings and showing them documents; that is neither transparency nor the freedom to receive information which is assured by Article 146 of the National Constitution.”

By Abena Rockcliffe

The saying, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” was the stark reminder of Dr. Janette Bulkan, as she appealed to politicians to not have the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project become a repeat of the Skeldon Sugar Factory or the Berbice River Bridge. “Guyanese cannot afford to subsidise another investment like the Berbice River Bridge.” Dr. Bulkan is an anthropologist who has been quite vocal on issues regarding Guyana’s forestry practices and more recently the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.

Dr. Janette Bulkan

In a recent open letter to the media, Bulkan urged that politicians be cognizant of the mistakes Guyana made in the past as it relates to project investments. She singled out as glaring examples the Berbice River Bridge, the Skeldon Plant and the controversial Marriott Hotel. Dr. Bulkan is asking for parliamentarians to seek a ’Green Paper’ which she said will help to avert another failed project. A ‘Green Paper,’ can be defined as a discussion document intended to stimulate debate and launch a process of consultation on a particular topic. It usually presents a range of ideas and is meant to invite interested individuals or organizations to contribute views and information. It may be followed by a ‘White Paper’—an official set of proposals. Bulkan said that a ‘Green Paper’ should be independently done on the Amaila Falls project. Contacted yesterday, she told Kaieteur News that an independent expert opinion on the Amaila project “is very well needed.” Bulkan who emphasized that she is a “concerned citizen,” advised that such a document will weigh the pros and cons of the Amaila project. In her appeal to politicians, Bulkan expressed that “the briefings provided by the Sithe Global/Blackstone Group to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees on Natural Resources and Economic Services and to the National Stakeholders Forum are no substitute for a Green Paper that includes the findings of independent objective technical and financial assessments.” She referred to the National Stakeholders’ Forum on Wednesday last, where “Sithe Global stressed that it had spent US$16M and six years so far on the Amaila project; although it was not explained how the money had been spent other than ‘hundreds of scientists working on environmental issues” and said that it was odd that there are no published reports from these hundreds of scientists in the public domain. Dr Bulkan, in her appeal requested politicians to adequately register the need for an independent green paper. “If Guyanese taxpayers had had the benefit of an external review, we might have been spared the debt burden of the white elephant named Skeldon Sugar Factory whose costs to date are US$200M, and counting.” She added that Guyanese might have had an alignment of the Berbice River Bridge that did not turn New Amsterdam into a backwater settlement; a toll that did not cost G$2,200 per car versus the Demerara River Bridge toll of G$200 per car. “While the Berbice River Bridge was being constructed, the majority of poor Berbicians might have thought that they would be paying the same toll as the Demerara River bridge commuters. They lost corn and husk: there is no alternative cheap ferry. They must use the Berbice River Bridge. Wealthy investors are the principal beneficiaries of that bridge; the State has been foregoing revenues so that the privileged investors can earn dividends,” Bulkan stated. She also said that the use of taxpayers’ money to fund the construction of a casino/hotel named the Marriott, by a Chinese company, using Chinese labour, and that will bring no named social or economic benefits to Guyana, could have also been avoided. “Dr Luncheon has already signaled that the casino will be sold…Guyanese have been speculating on the identity of the likely beneficiaries. We would not have embarked on an unnecessary expansion of the Timehri Airport at great social and economic cost.” “The drip, drip, drip of varying estimates of the component costs of this major construction project and associated commercial debts give no confidence that the Government knows what it is agreeing to with Sithe Global Inc. – whose only other venture into hydropower is the expensive and poorly-managed construction at Bujagali in Uganda, although the same personnel working for another Sithe company are said to have built other hydels. No details were provided other than a dam in Philippines.  Sithe clearly does not want to get sucked into questions about the management and capabilities of GPL and whether GPL can pay the future debt in full and on time.” Bulkan also pointed out that the current draft agreement commits to Sithe getting the first cut of GPL income paid into Republic Bank, before GPL itself gets any money to pay its own costs. However, Blackstone/Sithe confirmed that they would be willing to assist in the preparation of a Green Paper to the National Assembly, laying out objectively, in sufficient detail, the pros and cons of different options for future supply of electricity, including the final line item costs to the Guyanese taxpayer. Until now, the Government appears to have been considering only the single option of Amaila Falls and only cost estimates provided by the project partners. “Even if late in the day, now is the time to have expert independent input and check on the project developer’s figures, to inform the members of all political parties in the National Assembly and civil society in general.  It is surely not acceptable for the Government to try to co-opt individuals by taking them into private meetings and showing them documents; that is neither transparency nor the freedom to receive information which is assured by Article 146 of the National Constitution,” Bulkan said. “I hope that our Parliamentarians will think long and hard before voting for something that could turn into another Berbice Bridge — one in which most of the benefits are privatized, even while all the costs are socialised.  We do not need another Berbice Bridge — the costs borne by the average Guyanese, a cash cow for the private investor.”

GTUC says competent Guyanese being sidelined in Amaila debate

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) condemns the “roguish tactics by Government investors and special interest” and believes that the Members of Parliament (MPs) must engage their constituents on Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project. GTUC leader, Lincoln Lewis, this past week weighed in on the current moves by government to win support for the Amaila Project and said that the participation of MPs at the recent engagement in the National Assembly raises serious concerns as to their rights and roles.

GTUC’s Lincoln Lewis

“The parliamentarians were elected by the citizens and their first and foremost responsibility is to protect and advance the interests of the citizens.” Lewis believes that it is time parliamentarians understand that “your first role is to the citizens, and no foreign company has the right to walk into our National Assembly and try to sell you something that is inimical to the interest of the people, and more so this being done without the people’s involvement and support.” In lamenting the use of the Chambers, Lewis said that “our elected officials on both sides of the National Assembly have decided that they would entertain presentations from a group whose only intention is to make money on the backs of the citizens to influence them in making decisions.” Lewis opined also that the tenor of salesmanship by the investors comes across as “bullying our policy makers to conform to their wishes”. According to the veteran trade unionist, the project has drawn serious analyses from prominent and competent Guyanese like Professor Clive Thomas, Ramon Gaskin and Christopher Ram. He said that Thomas, Gaskin, and Ram, who are born and bred Guyanese and whose patriotism on this matter cannot be questioned “remain voices crying in the wilderness and our MPs are yet to indicate to them that they are prepared to embrace similar consideration to sit, listen and make an informed opinion based on the concerns they have been raising.” Lewis said that the GTUC is advocating that Ram and Gaskin be allowed a similar audience in the National Assembly to address the MPs on the lingering concerns on the Amaila Falls Project. He added that the trade union body has also never been involved in any discussion on the Amaila Falls Project. “No one has spoken to us on this issue in as much as the Constitution gives us the right to participation.” Lewis also asserted that the Executive and Private Sector aggression to commit Guyanese to a project that has serious consequences for their future, without respecting the citizenry’s right to be involved, appears unconstitutional. He cited Article 13 of the Constitution, which expressly says, “The principal objective of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organizations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their wellbeing.” Lewis said it is clear that the MPs and political decision-makers have not learnt. “At this time in 2012 the citizens of Linden/Region 10 were in the streets, challenging a decision made that impacted on their constitutional, economic and social wellbeing, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of many.” Lewis stated that despite the Linden experience, Winston Brassington, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, which in effect is on behalf of the People of Guyana, “is arbitrarily stating that Linden will be included in the Amaila Falls programme, without the people’s involvement.” According to Lewis, Brassington has ascribed to himself the authority to say to the people that the private generators that are off the national grid will have to return, because the government will remove the fuel concessions. The Executive, he said, has to be told when a benefit has been negotiated and implemented, and “cannot arbitrarily decide they will remove it…For what is acquired through negotiations will have to be undone through negotiations and agreement…To do otherwise is bordering on dictatorship.”

Dem boys seh…Amaila is not a ready-made dress

No tricks no living is something old people does

always seh when dem talking bout a scamp.

Dem does use that same statement

when dem children trying to smart dem

just like how Brazzy and he kavakamites dem

trying to smart Guyanese.

Dem boys only find out de other day

that dem don’t have a design fuh de Amaila Falls b

ut dem have a price.

That price jump from US$350 million......

to US$650 million........

then to US$840 million...... 

and now it climb to US$858 million.

Dem waiting to see it climb to something else.

Now that got to be strange

because if a man building a house and

he ain’t got a design or a plan fuh de house

then he can’t know wha de price gun be.

He can’t tell nobody how much money he gun spend.

Nobody know if is a one-bedroom or

a mansion he building.

Is de same thing if a woman want a dress,

de seamstress got to measure de woman

to know how much cloth she got buy.  

De woman might be a slim

woman like Julia Roberts who want a mini or

it might be a full figure woman like

Oprah Winfrey or Bibi Shadick

who want nuff pleat and flounce and frill.

Of course dem things gun tek more cloth

and that gun push up de cost.

Dem two size gun vary in price

because dem have de measurement.

Dem have dress that is ready made.

Dem even got one size fit all

but that can’t fit Brazzy.

De pumpkin jump suit

wha de Feds gun mek

gun fit he, Barbie and de rest of dem.

Dem boys seh that

Amaila is not a ready-made project

or a one size fit all.

Yet Brazzy give de nation

a price of US$4 million per megawatt

when de rest of de world

buy fuh US$3 million per megawatt.

Dem boys seh that if

de people think de scampishness done deh,

dem lie.

Brazzy admit that Amaila after one year

can’t generate enough power to supply Guyana.  

He plan de next year to build another one.

Well wha happen to de feasibility study?

It got to be that Jagdeo and Brazzy

and all dem planners tek Guyanese fuh fools.

It like de man who plan to buy a bicycle and

mek a li’l bridge fuh ride over

knowing that one year down de line

he gun buy a car.

He know that he got to mek a big driveway

and gun scrap de li’l bridge.

Fuh one, de bridge can’t tek de weight of de car

suh is a whole new foundation.

Or is like a man who build a one bedroom house

fuh he and he wife.

When de children come is either de man

expand de house or

de children sleep under de bed.

And Brazzy can’t fit under no bed.

As old people seh, no tricks no living.

Talk half and watch fuh de tricks.

Scrap the project, take your losses.  I am heading to Guyana to open a candle  factory. I see a great opportunity here.

Respecting the Voice of the Majority....

is not easy for De Corrupt Fellas....
But now the PPP Congress Workshop....

Is speaking out about the Thiefing....

and this is causing some Folks to Stop Bending Down. 

Despite the politics tere are manly such opportunities in Guyana. Good luck TI. You're doing tune right thing.

Kari, Like yuh high Bhai.

Janette Bulkan: “If Guyanese taxpayers had had the benefit of an external review, we might have been spared the debt burden of the white elephant named Skeldon Sugar Factory whose costs to date are US$200M, and counting.” She added that Guyanese might have had an alignment of the Berbice River Bridge that did not turn New Amsterdam into a backwater settlement; a toll that did not cost G$2,200 per car versus the Demerara River Bridge toll of G$200 per car. “While the Berbice River Bridge was being constructed, the majority of poor Berbicians might have thought that they would be paying the same toll as the Demerara River bridge commuters. They lost corn and husk: there is no alternative cheap ferry. They must use the Berbice River Bridge. Wealthy investors are the principal beneficiaries of that bridge; the State has been foregoing revenues so that the privileged investors can earn dividends”

Yes that's the Jagdeo/Ramotar/Ramroop/Baseman intention. They believe that God gave them that right. That Jagdeo did good deeds in his previous life. This is the talk among some circles here in Guyana. 

Baseman openly support a cheaper bridge toll, baseman's problem with the PPP is corruption, and primarily the Jagdeo camp.  But we cannot have the PNC take power and return Guyana to the "dark" days.

the only reason you still with the ppp is because you like when kwame rub your back you nasty fool

You are a liar; you speak of Baseman in the third person. Who are "we" ?  During those so called "Dark" days many Indians became very rich. Bugurd_See and his parents made a fortune from smuggling. If those days were so dark for Indos, why are so many leaving Guyana for the little Islands primarily inhabited by the Black Man you hate so much? Why are you not returning to Guyana to your now so called "Bright" days?

bai these ppp lowlife have no shame supporting the ppp thiefmen to rob the guyanese taxpayers all because of race 

So why YOU left Guyana in the PNC days if it was so great.  PNC destroyed Guyana, Indians were foot stools, and you cannot change that truth with all your katahar lies.

Is that your experience with the man.  Keep your dirty business to yourself.

Listen to yourself dumb racist jackass. Take off your racist blinkers and see the failures of the current regime. Why are you not answering my questions?