IN deciding whether or not to give their full support to Guyana’s Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, international financial organisations will undoubtedly look to the support being given it by the country’s parliament and its stakeholder community.
So, Government has said it cannot

comprehend the position adopted by some political parties who have indicated that they will not vote for the scheme in Parliament, until the international community has approved of it.
The Alliance For Change (AFC), for instance, has said, in the National Assembly, that it will back Amaila only when the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) gives its approval.
Addressing a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) press conference at Freedom House, in Georgetown, yesterday, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh said the international bodies will, in essence, be saying: “Why on earth should we support a project that you, Guyanese, are not prepared to come out and support?”
Singh hosted the forum, together with the party’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha and its Media Coordinator, Mr. Mahendra Roopnarine.
“Just think of it: We are asking these international partners to continue to support this project. We cannot, therefore, be ambiguous about the signals that we send to them. If we are asking the international community to support this project, then the very least that we can do in Guyana is to demonstrate that we support it, too.
“One could scarcely ask for support from all of the other partners outside of one’s own jurisdiction, if one within one’s own jurisdiction is not prepared to demonstrate unequivocal support,” the minister remarked.
Most credible
According to him, Amaila is not being developed by Government in isolation, but instead is seeing support from some of the most credible international partners that can possibly be imagined.
Since such large, influential and sophisticated global players are indicating their interest in investing in this venture, the minister said this should give every Guyanese the responsibility to give their backing as well.
Singh said it is clear that the AFC wants to be associated with Amaila and has, therefore, made public pronouncements that it is in favour.
“But yet, they are not putting their vote where their mouth is. Put your parliamentary vote where your mouth is,” the minister urged the opposition grouping.
He said he finds it alarming that the Opposition sees nothing wrong with this kind of “horse trading” where it is holding the nation at ransom, just because the Government is not supportive of other legislation that is in their political interest.
Singh insisted that Amaila must be judged on its own merit and development not be undermined because the Opposition does not get what it wants on other unconnected matters.
Meanwhile, he said Government is firmly committed to Amaila and will do all within its power to have this “dream of generations” realised.
It is forecast to generate “phenomenal” benefits to the Guyanese economy and will, eventually, result in an improved quality of life for Guyanese, Singh assured.
He added: “Amaila will double our electricity generation capacity. That is to say generate twice as much electricity as is currently demanded at peak. Amaila is not just about electricity bills coming down. Of course, they will come down. But it is about broad-based economic development. Amaila will bring benefits to the most vulnerable, the poor, not only because they will pay less for electricity in their homes but because more affordable electricity will attract investment to Guyana, will create jobs, will generate incomes.
“When you have investment in a country and you have job creation on the scale that Amaila will catalyse, you have increased Government revenue through the form of taxes paid by the investors and the employees.
“Additional Government revenue enables Government to fund improved and expanded services and infrastructure. All of these things are linked. The potential benefits of Amaila are really far reaching and will touch, in a positive way, the lives of all Guyanese,” the minister said.