Opposition wants reintroduction of Amaila Falls project

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira has proposed the reintroduction of the Amaila Falls project as a means of combating climate change.
Speaking at a Commonwealth Day event hosted by the Parliament office, Teixeira made the proposition, noting that the project was still a viable one and was relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals.
In her address, Teixeira noted, “One issue that all of us, every single human being can stand together with is the survival of Planet Earth, our home.”
She used this statement to allude to the need for less fossil fuels and cutting-back

on the use of detrimental gases. As such, the Chief Whip posited that there needed to be alternative ways to get the work done.
She noted that while oil and gas were lucrative finds and profitable economic opportunities, Guyanese must keep in mind that it was undeniably a finite resource. “We must understand that gas as an interim fuel is a finite and will run out whether in 20 years or 30 years or 40 years.”
“So we need to always keep our sights on harnessing renewable energy,” she added.
The Chief Whip then went on to propose that Guyana looked for the solution in the form of hydropower. Hydropower is an alternative that has been sought by numerous countries over the years.
“In Guyana in particular, with its land of many waters, hydropower is the only one with the potential to be transformational,” she stated. Teixeira backed up her statements by highlighting that the members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) are of the same belief. “In the PPP’s point of view, the viability of the Amaila Falls Hydro Power project remains incontrovertible,” she posited.
Additionally, Teixeira also called for measures to be implemented so that the ordinary man can actively be a part of the battle against climate change. One such suggestion was the need for easy accessibility to solar powered equipment; the Chief Whip noted that it not only needed to be accessible but also affordable. “I’d like to ask that we restore the VAT exempt status on individual household solar systems so we don’t use up so much fossil fuel,” she stated.
Speaking a few minutes later at the same event, State Minister Joseph Harmon assured Teixeira and her political counterparts that the necessary measures would be taken to deal with climate change.
“Let me assure Madam Teixeira and as well as the PPP and all members of society that the vision and political will to deal with issues of climate change resides in us all,” Harmon stated.
The Amaila Falls project was first revealed in 2012 by the PPP/Civic Government. The governing party had noted that it would receive part of the funding from the Government of Norway under the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) as part of the Low Carbon Development Strategy plan. However, the proposal was shot down by the then Opposition, who are currently in the governing seat.