…on Hydro-power?
Some folks have no shame…and Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman sits right on the top of that dung heap. Imagine he’s part of a Government that swore to derail the Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Project (AFHEP) – which could’ve given us energy independence by now – and yet he talks about the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in general, and Jagdeo in particular, being “anti-national”?? Talk about taking your do-do and wiping it on someone else’s bamsee!!
It was the A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) refusal to sign off on the project – and to even threaten to rebut the contract if the project went ahead – that caused Sithe Global to walk away from the deal which was almost signed, sealed and to be delivered by now. Wasn’t this “anti-national”?? APNU had two major objections – firstly that the project was too costly and would “condemn Guyana to indebtedness” – and implying that payoffs were involved that inflated the costs. Well, now that they’re in office and have access to the files, why haven’t we heard about the fat that was gonna be creamed off? They also said the consequent electricity tariffs would still remain too high.
By now they could’ve also shopped around to find another developer that would complete the AFHEP cheaper, since they aren’t corrupt (snicker!). What’s holding them back? They’ll be exposed for their lies – that’s what holding them back. Isn’t this anti-national? First of all, there would’ve been no net debt to Guyana since the funding costs would’ve been serviced from the revenues of Guyana Power and Light. And pertinent to the charge against Jagdeo, Norway was providing a US$80 million of that funding costs.
And pertinent to why the PPP would have reported the lack of consultation to Norway, it was the Norwegians that brought back AFHEP into play when they transferred the remaining US$80 million of the US$250 million to the IDB. “Use it or leave it!!” they told the Government. Now if the Government had any principles and really believed the malarkey they were spewing about AFHEP, they should’ve told the Norwegians to take their money and shove it in a place where the sun don’t shine! How can informing Norway that APNU isn’t consulting stakeholders as required – on a project that would benefit the entire country – be “anti-national”??
After all, if the numbers on financing remain the same – we know the Government’s done nothing to check out alternative financing – and the Government believed it was too high then, it doesn’t matter what the consultant says.
Unless of course, the anti-national APNU’s willing to admit they were just pulling their numbers from their nether orifice!
…on rice?
Ok…let’s see if your Eyewitness has this right. Back in 2015, Venezuela cancelled its 200,000 tons rice contract with us, pegged at the equivalent of US$780/tonne. We’d produced 687,000 tons and could then export over 500,000 tonnes – so we were now stuck with all of that at a world market price of only US$450/tonne. Which is barely break even at best for the most efficient producers.
And hell for the others, who not surprisingly didn’t replant for the 2016 crop. Yet the Government boasted that “rice exports up by 10 per cent in 2010”!! It obviously escaped these fellas – in a Government that declared it’s guided by the philosophy of Forbes Burnham – that just SELLING your product isn’t the point in business. It’s selling it at a PROFIT!!
But it explained the report just released by Government that as part of its plan to “save” GuySuCo, rice will now be produced on 485 acres at Wales.
So the Government will now be competing with private farmers for the cheap rice markets!! Lord have mercy on them.
…law enforcement?
Seems that saner heads have prevailed in the military brain trust advising President Granger. SOCU won’t be changing its orientation into SARA.
They’ll remain part of the Police Force. With all the latter’s follies and foibles!
