Contractor General maintains stance on energy project

Contractor General Dirk Harrison says he will not retract statements made in March about the process used to select Energy World International (EWI) as the preferred bidder for the 381-megawatt project.

Addressing an awards dinner in the central parish of Clarendon late Saturday, Harrison spoke briefly on the controversial energy project.

He maintained his position that the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) will not support the decision by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to recommend the issuance of the license to EWI, for the supply of electricity.

“The OCG upon careful review of the process undertaken by the OUR recommended that RWI be excluded from the bidding process on the basis that its bid was submitted to the OUR subsequent to the expiration of the bid submission deadline of March 15, 2013, that was issued by the OUR. The Contractor General stands by that statement and will not budge, for me to do so would be unethical and dishonest

He was speaking at a function hosted by the Clarendon Chapter of the Lay Magistrates Association to honour Justices of the Peace.

Meanwhile, the Contractor General says he will not accede to Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell's request for him to contact the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Last week, the Energy Minister asked the OCG to admit that it erred in the March statement that the OUR's acceptance of the bid proposal from EWI was a clear breach of law.

Paulwell requested that the OCG modify it statements after it was revealed that the IDB was no longer interested in assisting EWI with funding for the 381-megawatt project.

“So when I’m asked by Minister Pauwell to speak t o the IDB and to explain to him what the media release means - in his words we need your help, if the project is to go on. Ladies and Gentlemen, I will do no such thing, we stand by our reports and the media release and that is the end of the matter until such time,” he said.