“Who Really Pays the Price?” — MP Sharma Solomon Slams Gas-to-Energy Delays and Lack of Parliamentary Oversight

By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Stating that administrative failures and structural secrecy have severe financial consequences for working-class households, Opposition Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon has launched a sharp critique against the government’s management of the multi-billion-dollar Gas-to-Energy (GTE) flagship project.

The People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) legislator raised major concerns over recurring technical delays, contract adjustments, and the total suspension of bipartisan legislative oversight. He argued that everyday citizens are bearing the economic burden of these administrative deficiencies.

The Direct Household Cost of Missed Timelines

Solomon stated that the ongoing delays directly impact the domestic cost of living. The GTE project—centered on an integrated 300-megawatt power plant and a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility at Wales, West Bank Demerara—was originally presented to the public as an immediate solution to lower utility bills.

The lawmaker noted that if the project had been delivered on its initial timeline, a standard household utilizing $100,000 worth of electricity would have realized an estimated $1.2 million GYD in cumulative savings over a 24-month horizon.

Instead, business owners and families continue to pay some of the highest electricity tariffs in the Caribbean while enduring persistent rolling blackouts. Solomon estimated that local small-scale commercial enterprises are losing more than $1.2 million GYD annually in operational margins due to the delayed relief.

Concerns Over Redundant Spending and Lack of Accountability

The core of the opposition’s structural critique centers on a complete lack of fiscal accountability, exacerbated by the recent 100-day closure of the National Assembly. Solomon revealed that he was personally denied entry when he attempted a site verification visit to the Wales construction facility to gather data for the parliamentary record.

“Three months with no parliament, no oversight, and no subcommittees so that we can ask important questions,” Solomon stated during an analytical press briefing. “We are seeing a situation where the contractor, according to media reports, will likely be paid twice as much for the same project. We see the contractor being paid twice simply for stabilizing the soil.”

The MP asserted that the administration bypassed standard procurement safeguards by foregoing an exhaustive independent feasibility study. This choice, he argued, directly exposed the state to an unbudgeted US$100 million soil stabilization variation after heavy earthworks encountered severe sub-surface anomalies at the Wales site.

Solomon warned that without active bipartisan committee reviews, the state’s ultimate cost exposure remains hidden from the public. This lack of oversight is particularly concerning given that global supply chains and material costs are experiencing severe inflation due to regional conflicts like the US-Iran war.

The Government’s Revised Delivery Timeline

In response to criticisms regarding the structural setbacks, the Office of the Prime Minister recently announced a formal settlement of contractual disputes with main contractor Lindsayca Guyana Inc., adjusting the asset’s total budgetary allocation to approximately US$1.1 billion inclusive of a strict 10 percent contingency buffer.

According to executive updates, construction crews have shifted to 24/7 accelerated work intervals to meet the government’s revised, definitive timeline:

While the executive branch maintains that the revised end-of-2026 target remains legally secure, the political opposition vows to keep applying intense legislative pressure when the 13th Parliament officially reconvenes on June 5. They intend to demand the immediate publication of all disputed liabilities and structural grid integration costs.