At the invitation of the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Brigadier David A. Granger, MP, the IDB Country Representative, Ms Sophie Makonnen, along with her Operations Specialist Ms. Leslie-Ann Edwards, met with APNU representatives to discuss the current status of IDB involvement for the Amaila Falls Hydro-power project.
The Leader of the Opposition was accompanied by the Shadow Ministers for: Public Infrastructure and Communications, Mr Joseph Harmon, MP; Local Government and Regional Development, Mr Ronald Bulkan, MP; Foreign Affairs and Deputy Speaker, Mrs Deborah Backer, MP; Finance and Economic Development, Mr Carl Greenidge, MP; and Policy Adviser, Mr E. Lance Carberry.
The Leader of the Opposition explained the reason why the meeting was requested and pointed out that the Opposition needs to be kept informed of developments, particularly in view of the importance and likely impact of the Amaila project on the Guyana economy. In that context, the Opposition has asked for copies of the key documents to enable the conduct of its own.
Ms. Makonnen explained the special procedures which are being used by the IDB in preparation for the eventual submission of the project to the IDB Board sometime in October 2013. The documents explaining the IDB procedures will soon be made available to APNU. Currently, the IDB is undertaking a detailed Due Diligence investigation which should be completed by August 2013. A number of critical related studies are being undertaken, including a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study and an Economic Feasibility Study, along with a detailed evaluation of GPL to determine its capabilities and capacity to manage the power from the Amaila Hydro project. Specialist assistance will have to be made available to overcome any discernible deficiencies in GPL.
