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By Abena Rockcliffe The Amaila Falls Hydro Project has been surrounded by much controversy and uncertainty. But now when it seems as if the project will be either stalled or scraped, mixed emotions and views are being voiced.Kit NascimentoFinancial analyst, Ramon Gaskin, who had been very critical about a number of details of the Amaila project,http://www.footlockershop.us.com/Gel-hyper-33/, yesterday shouted “Hallelujah” in response to his feeling about Sithe Global’s withdrawal from the project,jerseys nfl wholesale, while Public Relations (PR) consultant Kit Nascimento said that what has happened is “tragic.”Sithe Global is the company that has become both developer and investor in the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. The company bought its developing licence from Fip Motilall who was granted his by the government of Guyana.On Friday last, Sithe Global officially withdrew as an investor, citing a lack of national consensus on the part of the Parliamentary opposition. The company had before stated that it would be “forced’ to pull out of the project in the absence of such consensus. It has lobbied extensively, through PR work, to gain such a reality.Yesterday,Jerseys NFL Wholesale China, Gaskin said that he was overjoyed that Sithe Global pulled out of the project. Gaskin is one of the persons who had publicly stated that he wasn’t against Hydro electricity, but just couldn’t accept the Amaila Falls project in the form that it stood.Asked yesterday if he thinks that the project can be saved, bearing in the mind the latest development, Gaskin stressed that the project is not worth saving. He said that it is the most expensive hydro in the world and will cause a sharp increase of electricity tariff.“It should not be saved and the government should let Sithe Global walk, at least I’m glad they did.” added Gaskin.Asked if he was not worried about the long delay before the possibility of a hydro can be brought back to the table, Gaskin told this newspaper that in 90 days the bidding process can begin again. He advised that “this time it should be put out for international competitive bidding to countries like Brazil, Germany and India.”Gaskin had spoken about the benefits of Sithe in the project saying that the company was getting too much for its investment.At the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, words like “tragic’ and “disaster” were used by Kit Nascimento to describe what has happened.“This is a disaster for Guyana. Sithe Global’s pullout will do terrible harm. It will be a long time until a source to match it can be put in place.”According to Nascimento, who was the moderator at the last stakeholders’ forum on the Amaila project,http://www.footlockershop.us.com/Gel-gt-ii/, it now appears that no matter what the opposition does at this late stage, it is unlikely that it can do any good.He opined that the Amaila project fell victim to irresponsible politics and a good deal of irresponsible media coverageOn Thursday, August 8, the National Assembly passed the legislation relating to the Project, but without the support of the main opposition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).However,http://www.footlockershop.us.com/Eqt-10/, while the minority opposition – the Alliance for Change voted in favour of the Amaila Bills, APNU didn’t.During a brief statement at State House on Friday, which was aired on the National Communications Network (NCN), President Ramotar said that government is doing the best it can to save the project.The government has spent more than US$12 million to build a road to access the hydropower site and Sithe Global has already invested some US$16M in the project.Ramon GaskinAnalysts Christopher Ram and Gaskin had stated that the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project should be retendered internationally or scrapped entirely,http://www.footlockershop.us.com/Gel-atena-rf/, while warning that the cost associated with the project is well over the country’s US$1.7 billion national debt.The two had met with several stakeholders, inclusive of representatives of the diplomatic corps, private sector and politicians among others, and said, not only will the project in its configuration at the time,Jerseys NFL Wholesale China Online, saddle the nation with a huge debt, but there is no guarantee that the cost of electricity will be reduced.Gaskin had stated that the cost of electricity could very well increase, given the high levels of risk and uncertainty associated with the project.“We do not reject hydro as a proposition,” cautioned Gaskin “but this Amaila deal, we have to reject it.”Similarly, economist Professor Clive Thomas of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) had been very critical of the project, he too warned about the possibility of the electricity being raised even higher after the project would have come on stream.Thomas did the first and so far only comprehensive study on the project coming out of a source other than the government. It is titled “Eight essays on the Political Economy of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project.” He warned in that piece that Guyana will quickly outgrow the project. This was confirmed by Head of the Technical team for the Amaila project, Winston Brassington. Thomas had said that with five years after the power being generated from the plant would become insufficient to satisfy consumers need.Photo saved as: GaskinCaption hoto saved as: KitCaption: Kit Nascimento |
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