– to ensure no vested interest stands in their way

THE next phase of work, as it relates to the Government’s Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), is to enable the people of Guyana to build strong, informed support for the project to make sure that “no vested interest” stands in their way.

“The next part of that work is to enable the people of Guyana to build strong, informed support for the Amaila Falls Hydro Project to make sure that no vested interest stands in their way.” – President Donald Ramotar

This was according to President Donald Ramotar, last Friday, in an address to the nation. “The next part of that work is to enable the people of Guyana to build strong, informed support for the Amaila Falls Hydro Project to make sure that no vested interest stands in their way,” he said.
His comments followed Friday’s full release of an accumulated US$80M in payments from Norway, US$45M released in 2013 and US$35M last week, which will be transferred to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to be used as Guyana’s equity contribution to the Government’s AFHP.

“Some of what we saw last year in the media discussion on the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, and much of the recent coverage of the LCDS and the Guyana-Norway partnership; has been deeply irresponsible. So I call for the media to play their part in helping the people of Guyana to gain access to facts and evidence.” – President Donald Ramotar

ALL GUYANESE TO BENEFIT
Mr. Ramotar made it clear that hydropower will benefit all Guyanese, not only one section of the population based on political affiliations.
He said, “There is no such thing as PPP (People’s Progressive Party) electricity, or Opposition electricity; nor is there is such a thing as PPP forests, or Opposition forests.
“It is the right of all Guyanese, today and in generations to come, to have well managed forests and affordable, clean energy. As the President of all Guyanese, I stand firm in my resolve to ensure that you realise this right.”

MEDIA ROLE
The Head of State also addressed the role of the media in the advance of the project, which is critical to the country’s infrastructure.
He said, “Some of what we saw last year in the media discussion on the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, and much of the recent coverage of the LCDS and the Guyana-Norway partnership, have been deeply irresponsible. So I call for the media to play their part in helping the people of Guyana to gain access to facts and evidence.”
Mr. Ramotar explained that Guyana has an extremely “vibrant and diverse” set of media houses.
He said, “How the media uses its power is not primarily a matter for me as President; rather it is a matter of morality and responsibility for those that lead and work in the media.
“…I have fought all my adult life for democracy in this country – and as part of that, I have fought for freedom of the press. That will never change. I remember what Guyana was like when we did not enjoy the democratic freedoms we have today.”
The President stressed that the Government’s Amaila Falls Hydropower Project will bring immense benefits for the Guyanese people.

SAVINGS
His consistent position on the matter is that economies must serve the people, not vice versa, and with an expected saving of $9B in electricity subsidies, as well as savings on the $40B fuel bill, enormous contributions can be made to the infrastructural development, which is particularly needed in Guyana’s hinterland to aid and accelerate economic progress.
Slated to be this nation’s most ambitious undertaking, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP) is touted to be able to provide Guyanese with a cheaper, reliable and sustainable electricity supply. It involves the construction of a hydropower plant in the area of West Central Guyana, where the Amaila and Kuribrong Rivers meet. Electricity produced there would be delivered to Georgetown and Guyana’s second largest town, Linden.
“We can never make back the time that we have lost, but the Amaila Falls Hydro Project can still be operational by 2019,” Mr. Ramotar assured.
Details on the way forward with the project are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

(By Vanessa Narine)