Stuart Young wrong on Gas Master Plan

Poten and Partners was retained through the Central Tenders Board. In late August 2015, the company completed the Natural Gas Master Plan after consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The entire process took nine months. The incoming PNM administration has been reviewing it for the last 21 months.

Regarding the plan, Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, is reported as saying in Wednesday’s Newsday, “The Gas Master Plan which stalled under the PP is being worked on and will be laid in Parliament this month.” How could it have stalled when the final version was submitted to the Ministry of Energy in August 2015? Once again Young is playing politics with the energy sector.

What he conveniently does not say is that he and his Government have had it for 21 months (almost two years) and have been “reviewing” it for that extended period of time. It therefore comes as no surprise that industry leaders are complaining about a lack of energy policy clarity.

He is further reported in the Express of April 5 as saying that his Government took some time to find the plan. This is absolutely mind-boggling since the 2015 gas plan could have easily been sourced from the permanent secretary or the chief technical officer of the Ministry of Energy.

He is also reported to have said that “one would have thought that they (former government) would have begun to address it.” That too is mind-boggling since the Government changed in a matter of a few weeks after the 2015 final submission.

I have presented these facts to correct what was published on Wednesday. These reports were based on statements by Young. It is important that misinformation about the oil and gas industry be corrected lest it impacts the credibility of the nation in the eyes of international investors.

Kevin Ramnarine via email