The National Assembly is not meeting sufficient enough to address the multitude of issues affecting Guyanese. Parliament is the nation’s highest decision-making forum according to the Constitution of Guyana. It is also the only forum where elected representatives of the people meet to deliberate and debate on issues and pass bills that would be signed into law.
Efforts to govern Guyana with little or no input from the Legislature is undermining the representative nature of Guyana’s democracy. This is not good. There are issues such as the gas-to-shore project at Wales that should be debated in the National Assembly. It is not sufficient to hear the Government say a feasibility study was done but has refused to make the study public. Pressure by the public to produce the study is being stoutly resisted.
In addition to having the document released, if it exists, it should be scrutinised by the Members of the Parliament. Both the Government and Opposition sides should be given the opportunity to share their input and debate the feasibility or lack thereof. International Environmental Lawyer, Melinda Janki, and others have asked the government to provide the evidence of feasibility, but the government is refusing to.
Mr. Ramon ‘Rambo” Gaskin, public advocate, in a last January Kaieteur News’ article called the project “all craziness,” arguing it is not “economically feasible” and noted the government has not published any report on it. Conversely, the Private Sector has voiced support for the project but has not requested release of the study that would prove feasibility.
It is also reasonable to assume were a study done and the feasibility assured the government would have had no problem releasing the document. By not releasing the document it could also be interpreted that none exists or if it does the study does not provide assurance that the project is sound. This is where the National Assembly could help with the Opposition bringing a motion requesting the release of the document.
It is simply not good enough for the government to say the project will save Guyana $150 million per year in fuel bill. In keeping with glasnost (transparency) the document should be made public where this evidence will be seen, along with others, to assure society the government’s claim is credible. Guyanese remember only too well the Skeldon Sugar factory which cost more than US$200 million.
Before building the factory the then Bharrat Jagdeo government told the public this factory would help to save the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The factory did not save GuySuCo but put Guyanese in more debts. The past is prologue and the government cannot ignore the fact that given their track record Guyanese need more than talks that the project is feasible and will save Guyana $150 million dollars in fuel.
The Wales’ gas-to-shore project is a multi-billion-plan (approximately US $900 million) according to the government. Government has also said the project is necessary to solve Guyana’s energy needs at reasonable cost. Guyanese need the evidence of cost reduction and environmental suitability.Government must make the study public. The National Assembly could help us get this requisite information as proof. There must be more sittings to facilitate this and other issues.
