Holness chastises Prime Minister over energy project

Debbie-Ann Wright, News Editor



KINGSTON, Jamaica:

Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness has chastised Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller saying the country’s 360 megawat project is currently in jeopardy because she ignored the contractor general’s report on the project.



The project ran aground last month after the preferred bidder, Energy World International (EWI) encountered problems getting the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide funding for the 381-megawatt plant it proposed to build.



The IDB had cited a report from the office of the contractor general which outlined procurement breaches which it said should have excluded EWI from the bidding process.



This afternoon a strident Andrew Holness criticised Simpson Miller for failing to ensure that the differences of opinion between the OCG and the office of Utilities Regulations were resolved.



However, the Prime Minister would not engage him in the discussion only saying she preferred to focus on what is to be done to deliver cheaper electricity to Jamaicans.



The Opposition has expressed confusion about the future role of the energy minister, Phillip Paulwell and the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in the country’s major base load project going forward.



According to the Opposition, it appears that both the OUR and the energy were being sidelined with their duties to be carried out by the enterprise team.



Meanwhile Simpson Miller has insisted that Paulwell remains in control of the energy portfolio.



This afternoon, Simpson Miller also tabled the terms of reference for the mega energy project.



She disclosed that the EWI has until June 14 to respond to a notice of termination of its licence to carry out the project.



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