Talking energy and development

The fifth Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo has just concluded, and we can now mull some of its achievements under the theme “Building tomorrow’s future today”. As we transition into one of the top oil producers in the world, it is imperative that all Guyanese become au fait with the overarching national strategy that the government is implementing. President Irfaan Ali fortunately outlined that strategy when he delivered the opening address in which he outlined concrete steps to deal with the present challenges so that the future can be augmented with the solutions offered.
Fundamentally, the plan is to leverage our oil and gas revenues to fund sustainable development and economic diversification so that not only the lives of the present generation are improved but also the future ones. We see this focus in the push to complete the Wales Gas-to-Shore project that will help supply the increasing demand for electricity as the economy expands into manufacturing through a 300 MW generator. The plan is to use the gas to produce fertilisers that will assist in the expanding agricultural sectors that ultimately will provide long-term economic security after our fossil fuels are exhausted. Bids have already been announced. Agriculture is our comparative advantage par excellence, and the president can be proud that under the 25-by-25 Caricom initiative, we are now producing new crops like soya and corn that are used as feedstock to rebuild our historic cattle and livestock industries and again export meat regionally. At this time we are now self-sufficient in poultry production. At the personal, family level, the production of cooking gas – for which a local company is bidding – will bring down the cost of that item that is now used in every home.
But in addition to announcing that a second gas pipeline to Berbice will catalyse development there – while using the less polluting fossil fuel – we learnt that the government will diversify our energy mix and reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels by resuscitating the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) that had been torpedoed by APNU and AFC when they held a majority of seats in the National Assembly between 2011 and 2015. We were commended by several international attendees for the vision of sustainable growth that strikes a pragmatic and principled path between usage of fossil fuels and renewables even as we remain committed to retaining the carbon-sequestering role of our forests. President Ali’s strategy is giving Guyana a very high profile as a model for sustainable development.
The President gave concrete progress on positioning Guyana as a hub on South America’s northern coast for facilitating integrated economic development with the rest of the continent without delinking from its historic integration with the Caribbean. He reiterated his long-standing statesmanlike offer to Suriname on our east to cooperate in exploiting our gas finds – even as that country retains their claim to our new River Triangle. Looking at the giant on our southern border, President Ali reiterated the push to complete the Lethem-to-Linden all-weather highway. This will offer Brazil massive savings by allowing shipments of their agricultural and manufactured goods (from Manaus) to the north to be shipped via trucks to the new port just opened on the West Bank of the Demerara River. Internally, the President emphasised the importance of improving our internal road and bridge network so that our vaunted 83,000 square miles will not just be a number but an accessible landmass the size of England, Scotland and Wales. This is a point the old and new Opposition ignore when they play to the gallery about “people cannot eat roads”. New regional airports in Berbice and Essequibo will also not only facilitate intra-country transportation but also inter-regional connectivity.
Finally, the president emphasised the thrust for equitable development of all of the peoples in our One Guyana. Equity means equality of opportunity for all so that we can each fulfil our innate potential – but which ultimately depends on how well we seize the opportunities. Manna will not fall from heaven as the Opposition wants.