By Isaiah Braithwaite
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Government is of the view that the opposition is clueless about the transformation Guyana is currently undergoing, minister within the ministry of public works, Deodat Indar on Monday, rejected a motion to have the government’s gas to shore project delayed.
The motion was brought by opposition member of parliament David Patterson, which asked the National Assembly have the project placed before the Special Select Committee until further studies are conducted.
Minister Indar pointed out that while the APNU/AFC was in office, they failed to invest in building the country’s energy capacity. He said the only effort they made was the establishment of the Wartsila power plant, which is already giving trouble as all the engines are down after running for a few months.
Member of parliament Patterson went on to question what government will be doing with the excess energy that will be produced by the gas to shore project, claiming that it exceeds the country’s demand.
“I do not think the opposition … understands where Guyana is going. Last year we grew by double digits; 2022 we will actually double the economic growth. That is where we are going and you have to cater for that. You do not wait until the problem is upon you and then hustle to prepare. You have to prepare now; you have to plan now and that is what our government is doing. That is how the honourable member used to manage. They had a cakeshop operation. When the problem is upon you then you hustle and put things together. That is not how we do work. We have done this project in a systematic way.”
The minister noted that several factors were taken into consideration in selecting the site for the project and called the opposition out for not doing their research before making remarks in the National Assembly.
He said contrary to what the opposition is touting, the private sector is welcoming the project. He said to tell Guyanese that the project should be delayed, is wrong.
“To say to the Guyanese people, industry and individuals that you are not going to cut their bills in anyway shape or form and we should park this in some committee for it to stay there and die and actual death is just wrong by all standards. The suggestion by the honourable member, is to tell the Guyanese people that we do not care about your struggles when your light bill come at the end of the month, we do not care if your manufacturing cost is eating out your bottom line. This project will deliver industrialisation in Guyana. Industrialisation might be a new term for my colleagues across the house, but it is something that we must do. If we do not do, we will end up a rich country on paper but not in substance. That is not the thinking of the People’s Progressive Party government.”
The minister said it is unpatriotic for the opposition to ask for the project to be taken to the Special Select Committee.
The gas-to-energy project is slated to come on stream by late 2024. It is expected to reduce Guyana’s energy sector emissions. The project is also expected cut electricity cost by more than half.
