HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said that “by no means has this Administration ever surrendered its intentions to have renewable energy and erect the Amaila hydropower facility.”Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President on Thursday, the HPS said that notwithstanding the roadblocks imposed by the parliamentary Opposition, the Administration remains optimistic especially now with the US $80M that will be made available through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).
This money will be transferred to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which remains an important player among the stakeholders involved in furthering the ambitions of the Administration on renewable energy.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, the Guyana-Norway agreement is undoubtedly a significant feature of former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s term in Office.
“The Norwegians with whom Guyana executed such an agreement have held and are holding great promise for Guyana and the world,” he said.
Norway assures of its conviction that Guyana continues to safeguard its forest, a pledge that is inherent in the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
Dr Luncheon said the post 2015 LCDS engagement with the Norway is a matter that enjoys strong support by the Guyana Government, as well as by the Norwegians. Guyana has thus far received US $250M of which US $150M has already been received. It is anticipated that the balance will be made available over the fifth and sixth cycle of payments.
“Guyana’s pre-eminence among Caribbean States in the world of climate change is on the basis of the engagement with the Norwegians…this Government remains inflexibly committed to renewable energy in the form of the hydropower facility at the Amaila Falls,” the HPS affirmed.
Guyana is expecting its fourth payment for climate services and continued low deforestation from the Norway in the amount of US $35M, US $80M of which will go towards the Amaila project.
Additionally, US $10.8M will go towards land titling, US $8.2M for Amerindian community development projects, US$5.1M for small and micro-enterprise development, US$0.5M for a climate resilience strategy and action plan, US$1.9M for the Monitoring Reporting Verification System, $US6.4M for institutional strengthening, US $1.2M for national and international awareness campaigns on the LCDS.

(GINA)