Dear Editor:
There is a glaring factual error in today’s Stabroek News article Sugar output still dismal, Skeldon far below target.
“The US$110 million Skeldon sugar factory” of paragraph four is a fiction of someone’s imagination if the government which built the estate is to be believed. I know this is a tall order, but no one is perfect, even when it comes to lying. Occasional truths slip off the tongue.
Stabroek News, Kaieteur News and even the govt media outlets are also guilty of using multiple prices for the Skeldon Sugar Factory. More recently much of the same was seen regarding the Amaila Hydro project, the Marriott and the Airport Expansion at Timehri.
Deception has become the primary business of the Guyana government, but the free and independent media cannot allow itself to be caught up in that game of smoke and mirrors. Please correct this article. $110 million cannot possibly be the final cost of the Skeldon Modernisation Project.
If we are to go by the govt own press release back in 2009, your figure is at least $75 million US off target
Sugar industry’s US$185M flagship commissioned
-largest investment in Guyana’s history
Georgetown, GINA, August 22, 2009
In another testament to the foresight of President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Administration, the US$185M state-of-the-art Skeldon
sugar mill was officially commissioned today.
The government controlled Guyana Chronicle of April 19 2009 had this to say regarding price
New Skeldon sugar factory fully operational
“The commissioning of the US$180M plant earlier this year was put back because it failed test runs and the corporation filed for consequential damages of more than US$5M.”
The Guyana Times which is owned by a very good friend of the former president also mentioned price on October 22, 2013.
Turning his attention to the US$200 million Skeldon Sugar Factory, which has been highly criticised for its apparent failure to perform at expected capacity, Minister Ramsammy said there are other problems hindering production besides mechanical problems in the factory.
There are many other instances in all the publication referenced where the price is bouncing and hovering between $165 million US to $200 million. All these numbers cannot be correct, especially given the debacle that is Skeldon.
The $110 million figure can be traced a the way back to a GUYSUCO press release of July 21 2006. It appeared on page two in the last paragraph.
Cogeneration equipment to be installed at the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP) Site
This modernization facility will give Guyana’s sugar industry a technological push in right direction. Construction and other aspects of upgrading would cost some US $110 million. When completed this site would be the most modern in Latin America and the best in the Caribbean.
Sir a careful reading of this last paragraph of page two would reveal a few interesting gems well known in the world of deception. Take a good look at “certain aspects” and “would cost some”. We shall be ignoring most modern and best. If you were relying on the figure quoted in this release, you have been deceived.
Even if we were to ignore all the add-on, inflated costs and financial miscalculations since 2006. If the government and GUYSUCO were telling the truth about the price there would be no need for some before the price floated out. And a quick check of your calender would reveal that this press release was sent out on a Friday. I wont be surprised if it came long after lunch.
Guyana still tenaciously claims English as it’s official language but as far as the evidence suggests, the jury is still out on this one and other such claims like the 96% literacy and such.
According to the dictionary some is used as a determiner, pronoun or adverb. We can rule out adverb and determiner in the case of the $110 million of the GUYSUCO press release. In which case some is being used as a pronoun and represents an unspecified quantity. So even though $110 million follows some the deception is complete with a most simplistic manipulation of language.
We know a lot about the Guyana government and it’s use of smoke and mirrors. That being said, I submit to you that this amateur manipulation of language in this press release was no accident. Or if we were to call it an accident, let’s call it an accident by design.
The way things are going with all these new projects adding further to our devolvement. Skeldon may soon be a distant blip, dancing in the rear view of our minds. At least those who still have time, mind or rare view.
Two lines from Walter Scott’s poem Marmion encapsulates Skeldon, Marriott, Amaila, Bai Shan Lin, China Harbour and the never ending list of scandals oozing from the pores of our beloved mis-leaders.
- Oh, what a tangled web we weave
- When first we practise to deceive!
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