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.
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