‘Fictitious, utterly ridiculous’

– VP Jagdeo rubbishes Patterson’s spurious allegations on gas-to-energy project

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has again shut down claims that Guyana’s multi-billion gas-to-energy plant under development is just a cover for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to pocket kickbacks through a 20-year maintenance contract.

Dr Jagdeo, during a media briefing at the Office of the President on Thursday, was quick to clarify that these claims are “fictitious” and “utterly ridiculous.”

Expanding further on the matter, the vice president explained that Guyanese companies simply do not have the capability to manage a plant of this nature, and therefore it is more than likely that any operation and maintenance (O&M) expense will be handled by an international company.

“We’re building the plant. We still have to go out to tender for a company to operate the plant, and manage the plant because it will be an international company … this technology there, using gas, we don’t have the capability in Guyana Power & Light (GPL) at this stage to manage a new plant of that nature,” Dr Jagdeo reasoned.

He added, “The facts are that we have not, there’s no such contract, there’s no such company. He [Patterson] already concluded that this will benefit PPP boys and he calculated how much money too … it’s all fictitious, fictitious.”

This is not the first time the government has had to navigate through mischievous misrepresentation and distortion of the truth, especially through published articles in the local newspapers.

And Dr Jagdeo has expressed concern that such claims are taking away from time that can spent addressing serious issues, relative to social welfare and the various policies being implemented.

“This is the sort of environment we live in and the lies that are told on a daily basis by the Kaieteur News in bold headlines. Once you say anything remotely against the government, you get a headline, but it’s a lie,” he lamented.