Govt mismanaging energy sector, delivering “fluff and bluff” – Frm Minister Patterson

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, has sharply criticised the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government for its poor management of the energy infrastructure sector, particularly in relation to power generation. Speaking at an Alliance for Change (AFC) press conference last Friday, Patterson, who is the party chairman, stated that the government’s handling of the energy crisis, including its recent attempts to address power shortages, is a classic example of mismanagement that will continue to affect the country throughout 2025.

Patterson, who is also Member of Parliament, pointed to several high-profile but ultimately ineffective initiatives that the PPP government has rolled out over the past year. One of the most notable failures, he said, was the government’s investment in “third-hand” power generation equipment. The government, according to Patterson, spent large sums purchasing 27 used containerised generating sets from Honduras—equipment that he argued was already outdated and ill-suited to solving the nation’s power needs.

“These are the kinds of ill-thought-out decisions the PPP government has made,” Patterson remarked. He accused the government of throwing taxpayers’ money behind ‘haram-scaram deals’ without any strategic planning.

He also criticised the government’s decision to bring in two power ships—one from Cuba and another from Türkiye—in an attempt to tackle the country’s electricity problems. While these deals were presented as part of the solution to Guyana’s frequent blackouts, Patterson said the government’s emphasis on quick-fix solutions had only led to more problems.

After they brought in these power ships, the government triumphantly declared that the era of blackouts was over, Patterson said. “Yet here we are, in 2025, with blackouts happening every single day. The fact that we are still experiencing regular power outages shows that the government has not studied the problem carefully. They have failed to do their homework, and instead, they’ve just thrown money at these half-hearted solutions.”

According to Patterson, these decisions reflect a broader failure in the PPP’s approach to the energy sector, one that has been marked by a lack of long-term vision and poor planning. He accused the government of focusing more on “fluff and bluff”—making grand announcements and investing in short-term fixes—rather than implementing effective, sustainable solutions for the country’s energy needs.

“The real problem is that the government has not taken the time to properly understand the energy infrastructure needs of the country,” Patterson said. Rather than investing in long-term, reliable solutions, they’ve opted for quick-fix deals that are costing the taxpayers dearly. These haphazard decisions are not solving the problem; they are only making it worse, the former minister highlighted.

Patterson’s comments were particularly critical of the government’s apparent failure to prioritise essential upgrades and modernisations to the national grid, as well as its inability to put in place a comprehensive energy strategy. He has had on-going disagreements with government management of the sector and frequently challenged the responsible minister, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, on the sector’s performance.

Phillips in October 2020 has outlined plans to transform the electricity sector, promising no more blackouts. Four years later the situation is no better but rather worse than it was during the A Partnership of National unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government.

The PPP government’s failure to properly address this issue will carry over into 2025 and beyond, and the people of Guyana will continue to suffer as a result. With persistent blackouts and rising energy costs, many Guyanese are left wondering when—and if—real solutions will ever materialise.