THE recent promise of the 10 percent reduction in electricity rates (as issued by President Donald Ramotar and a few others) is a very refreshing piece of news for all Guyana. I really started thinking about some things when I learned about this drop, which has already started to have positive trickle-down effects on all of Guyana.

Already I am hearing of the ease of private vehicle owners (when they go to fuel up) and I am very puzzled why taxi drivers and minibus drivers are still not lowering their fares. I am anticipating even more ease, when my electricity bill will be lowered, and I cannot help but be grateful for the general boost to the entire public.

We must remember that electricity is a contentious issue in Guyana, and it was addressed at the macro level, time and time again. I note that the president spoke of empowerment, referencing this lowering of fuel price with a simple fact that “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Very simply put, and in my case, I am saving two thousand per tank (small one too) at all of the GuyOil gas stations. It means that I have more disposable income, and this, in a very basic way, is one facet of empowerment.
I now go to the big picture and I think of the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) and its huge potential for Guyana.
This project will generate electricity for the national grid (Guyana Power & Light) with future expansion capacity to power major industrial growth projects within the country. Current power demands also exist in the bauxite and gold mining industries. In fact, at the production level, every aspect stands to benefit.
As of now, the fuel price is down, but this may not be sustained. This makes mandatory this AFHEP. Guyana is spending about quarter of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to purchase fuel, and most of this (anyway) is going to fossil-fuelled electrical generation equipment. Outside of the economic advantages where hydropower is concerned, we are all aware of the fact that there is no air nor water pollutants to worry over. We can quit worrying too about greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and be happy that the natural balance in an ecosystem is not disturbed.
To make matters very clear, where this AFHEP is concerned, all of Guyana will benefit in a massive way; people will have more to spend and the government will have more to invest. I add the great environmental benefits to accrue, and I say that this is what ‘empowerment’ is really all about. Yet, the opposition parties are adamantly blocking this most pivotal project.
I mean that almost everybody, if he/she is in the right frame of mind, agrees that Guyana is in great need of hydropower. This project is the most viable solution for Guyana’s electricity needs. I was reliably informed that if AFHEP should come on stream, then the cost for electricity for consumers for the first seven years of the operation of the project would be down by 40%; “not ten and not temporary.” I add to this that after the next 13 years, the cost will be down by a massive 70%.
I point out that the government subsidises GPL every year, but if AFHEP is here, then this hefty sum can be put to other use. GPL will by then be quite viable, as the money earned from selling electricity will pay the loans. What a bigger relief when all debts incurred will have been serviced. It means even more money in Guyana.
I remind readers that the few people from the Opposition who are condemning the project, were at one time in full support of it. They know the value of this project and to find that they cannot relent and allow it to go forward is a clear indication that their politics is about personal grudges, vendetta and a lust for power. There is no rationale for thwarting this plan of action. Even now as the electorate all across Guyana are enjoying the benefits of this lowering in their expenditures, they need to realise what great benefits are in store for them and their country, that is, if the PPP/C is allowed the chance to pull it off – the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Power Project.
I, therefore, join President Ramotar in reminding all Guyana that the drastic fall in fuel prices on the world market will not remain in the current state forever, and therefore Guyana should be looking ahead for ways and means of generating electricity at a lower cost. The funny thing is that the AFHEP is all about our own permanent good; it is empowerment at every level, and yet A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) are seeking to derail it.
I am glad that President Ramotar himself said that the Government is looking to restart work on the Amaila Falls Project.
I recall that both the AFC and APNU had promised the electorate in their respective manifestos in 2011 to bring hydro-power on stream, in recognition of the need to provide energy at a cheap cost. They know the truth, but their evil politics is taking precedence. So all I can say is that the population must be wiser this time around, May 11, 2015.

RAGHUNANDAN SINGH