By Tracey Khan – Drakes
[www.inewsguyana.com] –Prominent Businessman and Former People’s National Congress Reform Member of Parliament, Stanley Ming says that in 2009 then Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his country’s commitment to construct an 800 megawatts hydro power plant in Guyana, free of cost.
This plan of interest was expressed to Guyana’s Former President Bharrat Jagdeo during the opening of the Takutu River Bridge which now links the two countries by road.
However, according to Ming, it was never embraced by the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and now almost five years later, government continues to advocate strongly for the construction of the stalled Amalia Falls Hydro Power Project, which would incur significant costs to Guyanese tax payers.
The construction of the project by the Brazilians would have not only come free of cost but Guyana would have assisted to supply several areas in Roraima State in Brazial with electricity, since those states continue to experience daily power outages in 2015.
“They were willing to do it because they wanted to buy the surplus, the excess power that they would have installed and they would have recovered their investments by taking that power, because they power would have cost them money, so they would have been using Guyana’s facilities to generate the power and Guyana would get the 300 and they would get the excess,” Ming explained during a lunch time lecture for reporters which was hosted by the Guyana Press Association (GPA) on Friday, March 20.
Ming believes that government’s persistence for the establishment of the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project is based on personal gains for its affiliates.
“Like the Four Lane Road to the airport from the Police Station, it is to create opportunities for people to syphon money off, it’s as simple as that, bottom line,” he stressed.
Ming made it clear that his undertaking to educate the populace is not related to politics in anyway, adding that regardless of who wins power he will continue to stand on the side of the people.
“I am not running for political office, I have no desire to be in that, but I will continue to share this information…the young people of Guyana is 65 percent of the population, it is their responsibility to ensure that come May 11 that they turn out in full numbers and vote for who they think will define their future better than who they think will.”
Ming also said he sought an audience with President Donald Ramotar but he was unsuccessful; however during a presentation to members of the Opposition on the same ideas, Ming said it was endorsed and commitments were made to adopt the idea of they gain power.
Meanwhile, Head of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) Eric Phillips, who was also present at the lecture called for deals by government to be structured better in the interest of Guyanese.
“Amaila Falls doesn’t even give us new power; it’s replacement power. For the Amaila Falls to be viable all the private sector has to come on board and still we won’t have a decrease in the cost, plus it doesn’t have water all year long. Amaila Falls has over $200M more than it should have, and we’re paying $400M on that $200M that we shouldn’t be investing,” Phillips explained.
The presentation was based on a Guyana 2030 development plan which was done by Ming, retired Major General Joe Singh and Eric Phillips.
