Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Construction of the Amaila Hydroelectric Project access road to begin this week.



Despite the best efforts to stymie by opposition elements construction work on the Amaila Hydroelectric Project access road will begin this week. This follows the issuance of the construction notice to proceed by the Ministry of Public Works to Synergy Holdings on October 5th.

The notice follows the recent approval given by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the positive review by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) of key environmental and social aspects of the road works and the contractor’s Environmental & Social Management Plan (ESMP) in the context of the IDB’s policies.

Synergy is fully mobilised at the project site along with the supervisory consultants. Works will begin immediately on the section of new and upgraded road areas between Mabura Hills Road to the Essequibo River and from Butakari to just west of the Kaburi Amerindian community in Region Eight. Concurrently with access road construction, the IDB is completing its review of the revised Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Report (ESIA) which includes the Amaila hydropower facilities, the transmission line as well as the access road works. The ESIA was prepared by Exponent & JGP, a consortium of American and Brazilian environmental and social experts on hydroelectric project development hired by Amaila Falls Hydro Inc. (AFHI). The construction of the access road is the first phase of the Amaila hydro-electricity project, which is the biggest infrastructure project in Guyana’s history, and the flagship of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The project will involve utilizing less than 0.001% of the State forest area, and the Government of Guyana has put in place measures to ensure that the project complies with both national and international social and environmental safeguards.

Earlier this year acting Chief Justice Ian Chang, S.C., declined to issue orders of Certiorari and Prohibition to Management Consultant Ramon Gaskin. Gaskin had set out to prevent Government from awarding a $15M (US) contract to Synergy Holdings Inc., to design and build roads and stream/river crossings for Amailia Falls Hydro Project. The application was refused. The legal team representing the applicant included Mr Rex Mc Kay, S.C., Mr Fitz L.R. Peters, Mr Neil Boston and Mr Christopher Ram. The move to the court was widely believed to be orchestrated by Christopher Ram.

In giving his ruling the acting Chief Justice concluded that :"The court is unable to persuade itself that the issue of writs of Certiorari and prohibition would be for the public good in light of the importance of the Hydro electric project to public welfare and development of the country. The execution of the project by Synergy Holdings Inc., may warrant close monitoring but the need for such monitoring does not provide a sufficient basis for the exercise of the court's discretion to issue the Orders or Rules nisi of Certiorari and Prohibition as prayed."

5 comments:

  1. i just cant wait to see the success of this project..they are alot of persons who say that this project is a waste of time but as soon as it is completed... apparently it will be them who wasted their time criticizing it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. They are well on their way in finally commencing this project. it is about time too..plus we put a cover on the lips of the opposition and the rest of the ppl who believed that the Amaila falls project is impossible.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The opposition cannot be allowed to be the main hindrance of our development, Guyana and most of all the Government cannot allow them to continue any further!

    We need cheaper power in order to facilitate our citizens needs and to maximize utility...

    ReplyDelete
  4. It’s about time! Unimaginable that anyone would oppose the project. It would be nice to develop a new town nearby. A town that is well laid out, carefully thought out.
    I would be excited to participate in such a venture.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Once christopher ram dont get any money he does anything in his power to stop it. He and Ramesh Seebarran of 125 Versailles are swindling a lot of taxes for their clients in return for dirty money. Ask Len's owner HOW SHE TRIED TO EVADE MILLIONS OF TAXES since 2008. Ramesh Seebarran stashes away the money in New York where the USA elites cannot detect it. The money is so dity it comes from illegal sources just to make evil buisnesses look like good ones. Ramesh Seebarran made over a million guyana dollars by the unlawful selling of woodbine hotel.
    Ramesh Seebarran and Ram are partners in the Guyana Lawn tennis association

    ReplyDelete