Georgetown, Guyana.
October 6, 2023
For immediate release to all media houses.
AFC STATEMENTS FROM PRESS CONFERENCE
Video Link to the press conference
https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/041JAikyGZxTtFkYpH0maGFAA#video1909126117
AFC demands the Petroleum commission is established. – Khemraj Ramjattan MP
At the last sitting of the National Assembly when the Petroleum Activities Bill 2023 was being debated, the AFC indicated that the Petroleum Commission Bill ought to have been passed prior to the Activities Bill. The criticism was that the cart was put before the horse.
At that debate, too, the entire Opposition waded in on the hypocrisy of the PPP by evidencing their various speakers’ inconsistent earlier statements in 2017, that there must be a Petroleum Commission established to insulate activities within the sector from the politicians.
Today we see what two politicians, two Bharats, are doing in that oil sector. Both their performances are disgraceful especially as it relates to the IMS Markit Audit, which revealed Guyana being shortchanged in the sum of approximately $107M US. Throwing up a fall guy and scapegoat shows how shameless both are in not wanting to take blame and resign. Imagine neither of them wanting to be accountable for this debacle. In this country it is the big fish which must be fried, big fishes who wanted to wean Guyana out of $107M US.
The AFC in view of this fiasco by these two politicians demands the laying of the Petroleum Commission Bill in the next October Session of Parliament to see the establishment of independent, qualified, professional persons to manage the activities of the oil and gas sector. This the PPP Government had promised would happen soonest. There is already the 2017 Bill which was sent to the Special Select Committee in the last Parliament. A good start can be the immediate revival of that Bill to insulate the stupid and corrupt politics played out by the PPP politicians in this sector.
Both Bharats will see less embarrassments to themselves and the Country when they stop meddling with affairs they know nothing about.
AFC REJECTS PPP CLAIMS ON ELECTRICITY WOES – DAVID PATTERSON MP
The Alliance for Change (AFC) has noted the almost daily power outages that is plaguing the entire country, power outages are not limited to the Demerara – Berbice Interconnected System only, but also Essequibo Coast and the Township of Bartica.
Note has also been taken of the excuses proffered by the Government, namely the current heatwave as well as the inclusion of commercial customers on to the grid – we reject these excuses in full, since the status of our power sector is entirely due to the mismanagement of our power sector.
Background
Available capacity 2015 – 124MW 2019 (Jan – May) – 165MW
Technical & Commercial Losses 2015 – 29.2% 2019 (Jan – May) – 24%
Peak Demand 2015 – 110.3MW 2019 (Jan – May) – 124.6MW
Interruption Duration Index (Hrs)2015 – 97 2019 (Jan – May) – 22
GPL Capital Expenditure 2015 (May – Dec) – $800M
2016 – $1B
2017 – $3.1B
2018 – $3.5B
2019 – $2.1B
2020 (Jan – May) – $6.2B
GoG Capital Expenditure 2015 (May – Dec) – $2B
2016 – $3.3B
2017 – $3.4B
2018 – $2.9B
2019 – $4.3B
2020 (Jan – May) – $10B
GPL Maintenance Expenditure 2015 (May – Dec) – $2B
2016 – $2.3B
2017 – $3B
2018 – $3.5B
2019 – $3.4B
2020 (Jan – May) – $1.3B
New Generator Sets Anna Regina (5.4 MW)
Bartica (3.4 MW)
Bellevue (1.5 MW)
Canefiled (5.5 MW)
Garden of Eden (46.5 MW)
Expansion Plan (2020 – 2024)
2020 (46.5 MW) – Currently installed
2021 (55.2 MW)
2022 – 2024 (120 MW)
As recommended by the IDB/GoG study, all units procured were to be duel fueled and modular (i.e., HFO as well as Natural Gas) – on the completion on the Gas to Shore project, these units could be transferred to the new location, and connected directly to the new fuel source.
There would be no need to procure redundant, costly, and inefficient container systems which would be obsolete in less than a year after purchase.
See letter dated October 6, 2023, in KN by former GPL Chairman Rawle Lucas.
AFCISSUES CAUTIONAGAINST INTERFERENCE IN TEACHER NEGOTIATION – CATHY HUGHES MP
We warned before about the approach of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of imposing its will or using its political might to interfere in the activities of agencies and the operations of legitimate functioning national organizations. Yet again, we have found it necessary to issue another caution to the regime in its latest approach to bypass the established teacher’s bargaining mechanism to meddle in the wagesand salaries negotiation.
The meeting between President Ali and a selected few is wrong and counterproductive.
While we support efforts to bring the current negotiation to a speedy resolution, we believe that these efforts should remain within the negotiating mechanism of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education to avoid the specter of politicization of the process.
Like other public sector workers, our teachers deserve reasonable wages and further compensation for their efforts to educate our nation’s children, sometimes at additional out-of-pocket expenses. Our teachers have demonstrated courage and sacrifice throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and their continuous toil with inadequate equipment and resources. Therefore, today, our teachers should be rewarded from the proceeds of our natural inheritance.
The government should also be mindful of the precedent it creates in showing favouritism and contempt .The AFC remains in full support of our teachers in their efforts to secure decent wages, salaries, and other compensation from the government. We, therefore, urge the government to honour its promises to the teachers with a reasonable package settlement.
END
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