Jerome Reynolds, Gleaner Writer
The Jamaican and Venezuelan governments are to work out a new payment deal under PetroCaribe, which could see Jamaican cement being sold in that market under a special arrangement.
The Energy Minister, Phillip Pauwell says, the Venezuelan government gave its assurance the deal will continue during a PetroCaribe summit on the weekend.
Paulwell says the Jamaican Government is grateful for the continuation of the deal by the
Former Contractor General Greg Christie has accused Audley Shaw, opposition spokesman on finance, of a “disregard and total lack of respect for the rule of law” as well as an “unbridled” willingness to mislead the nation. Christie was responding yester-day to comments made by Shaw and reported in The Government, through the Development of Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), has made some $360 million in loans available for the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across various sectors. Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, in closing the 2013/2014 Budget Debate on Thursday, May 1, in the House of Representatives, informed that residential customers can access up to $3 million. The loans are available through financial institutions at an interest rate of 9.5 per cent and the money is repayable over eight years. The Jamaica Energy Council (JEC) is to hold talks on the selection process for the three bidders for the construction of a 360-megawatt generating plant. Phillip Paulwell, minister of science, technology, energy and mining, has directed that the agenda for the next meeting, scheduled for Friday, May 17, include a presentation by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) on the process for selecting the enterprise for the plant. The announcement of the meeting follows a request from Opposition Spokesman on Industry Gregory Mair, who told the minister that a meeting was necessary to ensure “transparency and good governance“. Mair requested that at the meeting of the JEC, the OUR be asked to explain the process by which it would engage the three bidders and if it would consider the late proposal, and if so, why. Mair said also that the OUR must be made to state whether the 30 days would be sufficient to make a final decision and on what basis a bid would be selected as the winning proposal. Mair said he also expected that the OUR would defend the winning proposal before the JEC board prior to the final recommendation being sent to Cabinet. “This, in my opinion, will allow the private sector, the Opposition, and other stakeholders to understand the procedure and participate in this critical national project and, as such, ensure that we are all satisfied that the process was transparent, fair, and that all stakeholders are supportive of the final recommendation going to Cabinet,” Mair said. Read more: Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter THE TARGETED reduction of the consumption of energy within the public sector last year failed to meet the announced objective, falling short by two thirds. Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell told Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter THE TARGETED reduction of the consumption of energy within the public sector last year failed to meet the announced objective, falling short by two thirds. Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell told THE Government, after more than 10 years trying to divest the Petroleum Company of Jamaica Limited (Petcom), has set up an enterprise team for the privatisation of the entity. “Mr Erwin Jones, chairman of Petrojam, will lead this team. We are currently having a valuation of the company’s assets done and we will announce more as information becomes available,” Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell told Parliament yesterday during his contribution to the 2013/14 Budget Debate at Gordon House in Kingston.
Paulwell, arguing that Petcom has been a strategic asset in the petroleum marketing sector, said he hoped that the entity would remain a strong player in the market. “Again, I encourage local investors to participate in the ownership of this important Jamaican asset,” the minister told the House. Petcom Beginning in June, the Government will commence accepting bid submissions from investors to develop projects aimed at generating up to 115 megawatts of energy from renewable sources, which could potentially reduce Jamaica A new entity to replace the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) has been mandated to develop renewable energy solutions for Jamaicans who live too far from the national powerMinister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon Peter Phillips (right), in discussion with Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, before he closed the 2013/ 2014 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on May 1.