Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, speaking at his weekly press conference Thursday, has demanded the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government release all documents pertaining to the Wales gas-to-shore energy project.
Norton reminded that at his 12th January 2023 press conference, the Opposition “alerted the nation that the under-the-table manner in which the government is embarking on the Gas-to-Energy project, if not exposed and resisted, opens the door to hundreds of billions of dollars being continuously spent on infrastructure projects unlawfully and unconstitutionally.”
Further, he said, the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) warned the project rests in the hands of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is the subject of credible allegations of bribery, corruption and influence-peddling and who has a string of failed projects on his resume that have cost Guyanese billions of dollars.
Some of the failed projects associated with President Jagdeo are the Skeldon Sugar Factory and the Amaila Falls. The Skeldon factory, which was commissioned in 2009, cost taxpayers approximately US$200 Million but was later abandoned by the PPP/C government. Recently the factory began to collapse. Another is the Fip Motilall’s Amaila Falls road that cost taxpayers millions of US$14.5 Million and was subsequently abandoned.
The 2023 Budget has allocated some $43 billion for the gas-to-shore project.
According to Norton, the Opposition intends to remain relentless in its demand for the government to release all contracts and agreements on the project.
“Already, through our Members of Parliament Volda Lawrence and Ganesh Mahipaul, we have submitted questions and a Motion to the National Assembly. We have since submitted a second Motion calling on the National Assembly to mandate the Parliamentary Select Committees on Natural Resources and Economic Services to jointly review the project documents with the assistance, if necessary, of financial and other relevant experts.”
Reminding the APNU+AFC were the initiators of the Gas-to-Energy project and in principle not opposed to the idea, the Opposition Leader said the project must be based on a proper feasibility study, a thorough environmental impact assessment and properly implemented, could be transformative and deliver cheap and reliable electricity to households, factories, and other businesses.
“Unfortunately, there are no such feasibility and environmental impact studies and therefore one is left to conclude that this is going to be another failed project and the waste of billions of taxpayers’ dollars by the Vice President and the PPP regime.”
In addition, said Norton, the project is now severely “jeopardised by secrecy, the lack of consultations and by the egotism and incompetence of Bharrat Jagdeo.” This is the jeopardy we must all try to avert, he warned.
