President Granger is being fooled about Amaila Falls Project – says Jagdeo
By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Executive Member of the People’s Progressive Party and incoming Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo believes that President David Granger is being ill – advised about the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.
Jagdeo told a news conference on Tuesday, August 12 that those examining the project are clueless.
“I believe that they are duping President Granger; I believe that they are duping him because you have a few people who have been examining the project economics that are clueless…you don’t have to be an economist to understand what this project means to Guyana and what we will lose if we don’t proceed with it,” Jagdeo said.
His comments follow the announcement by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan that the APNU+AFC government will not proceed with the project since the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) advised that it is too risky to do so.
But Jagdeo said this new position by the IDB was never made known to the former PPP government.
“The last time I know… in June a mandate letter was signed between the IDB and the developer.”
The former President believes that the decision of the APNU+AFC government to disband the project is a political one, while at the same time disputing the US$130M figure provided by the Finance Minister, who claimed that is the amount GPL will have to pay per year.
According to Jagdeo, the Finance Minister is incompetent in his handling of the Amaila Falls Project, which he says disqualifies him from managing Guyana’s economy.