Submitted by Anthony Davis
The Guernsey-based plasma gasification company, Cahill Energy seems baffled by “the continuing objections from Barbadians” regarding the controversial waste-to-energy project, with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) […]Clare Cowan blaming ‘incredible misinformation’ for the resistance. – Barbados Today (23 July, 2015)
Under the headline “Exposed MOTTLEY CALLS ON PM TO INVESTIGATE EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT” on page 3 of BARBADOS TODAY dated June 16, 2015, In her reply to the 2015/16 Budget report, Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley stated: “Under a MOU signed on March 15 last year between the Minister of Finance,the Minister of the Environment Denis Lowe, the Minister of Energy Senator Darcy Boyce, and the Minister of Housing Denis Kellman, and the CEO of Cahill Energy Clare Cowan, the Canadian firm was exempted from paying a slew of taxes, including corporation tax, Value Added Tax, transfer tax, import duties on waste, tyres and other supply items, as well as export duties.”
It seems to me that Mrs. Cowan and the Minister of the Environment cannot understand the pros and quos of this infamous deal. Pray tell me, why would any company build any plant whereby the people of the relative country wouldn’t have to pay one red cent for placing the plant at the Government’s and the people’s disposal? Is this company a philanthropic one?
Methinks not!
I find it condescending of Mrs. Cowan to state that the reason they had awarded the building of this plant in Barbados is because Barbadians are the better educated of the people in the Caribbean. This statement is nothing but a means of buttering us up so that we would accept this waste of energy plant. Also, the economic situation of Barbados is at present no better than any of the other countries in the Caribbean.
If the people of Barbados do not have to spend anything on this project, who will pay for all of the free things which the Leader of the Opposition mentioned in her reply to the Budget, and to which no one on the Government benches found the audacity to refute? The Minister of Tourism, who spoke after the Leader of the Opposition didn’t even try to deny what she said, but made some statement about her not saying anything pertaining to the budget.
Mrs. Cowan sidestepped many questions about this sweetheart deal which is bound to make “Butch” Stewart green with envy. Mrs. Cowan is right in one thing, i.e. that we are educated. We are educated enough to know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Someone has got to pay the bill. In this case however, those who called the tune won’t be the ones to pay the piper, but the taxpayers of Barbados – the people who you say won’t have to pay anything.
The Minister of Finance has “a low cash flow”, but he can afford to give away millions of our tax dollars in free water, free land, waivers of taxes, etc. for some company which we know nothing about. There are people in this country who don’t even get water on a regular basis, but still have to pay the BWA exorbitant sums of money for a commodity which they have not received. If one of these same people defaults on his/her payment I bet the water would be cut off.
How do we know if by digging so many wells on the free 27 acres of land at Vaucluse it will not destabilise the land and cause some environmental problem which would cause us to spend millions of dollars to rectify it? There are too many unknowns with this plant – especially seeing that no one is prepared to explain to the populace of this country what the real deal is. What is the situation with the state-of-the-art Andrews factory? Are we to assume that that is no longer viable? What about about all of these clean energy companies which have recently been formed?
In the MOU it states that Cahill Energy will be allowed to import tyres and other people’s garbage to be incinerated here, How come Mrs. Cowan is denying this? The Minister of the Environment stated that in 25 years Barbados would be free of garbage. Will the plant be decommissioned then if, as Mrs. Cowan stated, no garbage will be imported?
I SHOULD THINK NOT!
They are not philanthropists.
My biggest problem with this plant is the possibility of nuclear ash ending up here to be burnt at Vaucluse. We all know that the wind blows from whatever direction it pleases, whenever it pleases, and wherever it pleases so we cannot stand by and say: It does not affect me. This affects us all, and I think that the populace of this country had better get off their butts and see what they can do about this thing that is being fobbed off on us without any proper explanation.
This will be too large a burden for our children and their children to bear. The only thing that will be safe is the money flowing into Cahill’s pockets.
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