The European Economic Community is rushing in ‘ spares’ for the Guyana Electricity Corporation’s Kingston Power Station and is financing the work programme of at least six consultants on temporary attachments to the corporation.
Jean-Claude Heyraud, the EEC’s Georgetown Mission Chief, told Stabroek News this week, the Community is spending US$100,000 ( 89,000 ECUs) to provide spares and to take care of the attachment of the consultant under a technical assistance arrangement.
“The spares are being rated as an emergency. We talked with the government shortly after the problem on January 8. You can say that it is coming even quicker than emergency aid,” Heyraud said.
SPARES
The consultants are from Foster Wheeler Power Products, GEC Turbines and NEI Pebles They are assessing the performance of the steam boilers, the Kingston turbines and the Sophia Conversion station.
They will tell us what spares to bring in, based on what they see and we will move quickly.”
Heyraud said the spares the EEC will supply will supplement those on order through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) which is engaged in a US$19m rehabilitation of the Kingston station and several diesel facilities around the country. Corporation sources say delays in the programme have already resulted in cost overruns.
“We are doing it in co-operation with the IDB,” he said, emphasising that the government’s request is being treated as an urgent one by the mission’s Georgetown office.
\Gas short and taxi fares triple
VEHICLE owners and drivers again experienced difficulty in obtaining fuel (Picture shows Monday afternoon queue at Guyoil in Regent Street) as the shortage continued in Georgetown and other main centres.
The shortage has spawned an instant increase in mini bus, taxi fares. South Ruimveldt residents, for instance, are paying up to-$5 per head, and those living on the East Coast and East Bank are finding it even more difficult to get to and from work.
Nick Starts Studying For A Career
TEEN OF THE WEEK
NICHOLAS Cyril, 14, is a young Amerindian of the Wapishiana tribe, who comes from Lethem in the North Rupununi where he attended primary school. He explained that his tribe is not headed by a leader but by a Council.
“Life in Lethem is easy-going, nothing is too much of a hassle, but I prefer Georgetown, Nicholas said.
He disclosed that of a family of eight, he is the only member in the City. “My father is a farmer, which is a good, honest job, but I will be a Mechanical Engineer because farming is a bit too slow for me,” the teen declared, adding that already he has begun studying for his career.
“In 1985 I passed the Secondary School Entrance Examination and came to Georgetown on a scholarship. I now attend the St. John’s College and am in the Fourth Form,” Nicholas said. He noted that though he liked his primary school, he feels more comfortable at his high school.
Of the six subjects he is taught at St. John’s College, Nicholas likes English Language best. “Maybe I like this the most because of the teacher, Ms Nichols. She is patient and really knows how to put over the subject,” the teen added.
Nicholas was approached for this interview while he and his buddy, Mark Swan, were on their way to the museum where they hoped to do some research on fish for their biology class.
New FA Exec. Plans To Salvage Football
By TROY PETERS
COLIN KLASS was last Sunday elected President of the Guyana Football Association GFA) as the organisation seeks to take the game out of its many problems.
However, Klass is optimistic that the new executive will take up the challenges which include indebtedness to FIFA, the world body governing football; resuscitation of the Berbice Sub-Association and expand the game to attract wider participation locally.
At last Sunday’s Annual General Meeting held at GNCB Sports Club on Croal Street, several observers turned up at the venue expecting “fireworks” following the Georgetown Football League’s meeting two Sunday’s ago which had some controversial incidents, however it was not to be.
The enquiry why the national football squad was not in training was the hottest part of the meeting.
In the Secretary’s Report, Lawrence Griffith said that a communication break down between GFA executive and the appointed coach caused the delay.
It was revealed that a letter was sent to national coach Mervyn “Pug” Wilson seeking an explanation why the squad was not in training.
The letter stated that Wilson showed total disrespect and disregard to the GFA executive and it asked him to reply in 48 hours.
Wilson however, replied with a lawyer’s letter stating his reason for not obtaining leave from his employers the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to conduct the sessions.
It is still not clear whether Wilson will be in charge of the squad, but Klass disclosed that training sessions will get underway today in preparation for the inaugural Shell Cup Caribbean tournament slated to get underway in April.
The GFA has filed for bankruptcy to FIFA, claiming that the Association would be unable to pay its debt to the world body, if the money is raised in local currency, foreign exchange will be hard to obtain, the letter stated.
The incumbent Treasurer Maurice John took almost 20 minutes addressing the meeting, but he never delivered the Treasurer’s statement, however Klass said the report was not available because the auditors needed to clarify a few matters.
Instead, John spoke about his ordeal as manager of the National team which visited Guatemala and Los Angeles which was an extension of the Secretary’s Report.
The officers to serve for the next two years are:— Colin Klass (President), Henry Green, Philip Shury and Everoy Babb (1st, 2nd, 3rd Vice President respectively, Lawrence Griffith (Secretary), Patrick Robinson (Treasurer), Colin Erskine, Philip Dublin (Asst. Secretaries) and the lone female Lynette Lashley (Asst. Treasurer).
