PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar on Monday met President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Luis Alberto Moreno at the office of the Guyana Mission to the United Nations in New York to discuss several key developmental plans, including the Amaila Falls Hydropower project. Following the meeting, the Guyanese Head of State explained that the discussions were very fruitful.
“We had a very good discussion, we spoke about Amaila and the stage where it’s at…you know the President of the IDB himself went to China and he has been very helpful in pushing this project. We all understand that this is a very big project and very important project for Guyana, for the bank, for Sithe Global, for all involved. It’s a very important project so, obviously, we all are looking at it and bringing the first stage, I don’t think we are very far away from bringing a conclusion to the first stage, and then we will begin the second stage of construction,” President Ramotar said.
The Head of State noted too, that there were other aspects focused on during the discussions including how Guyana can tap into the global financial mechanisms.

“Fundamentally about developmental questions, about the different issues that we have to deal with in the GRIF funds, the different kind of mechanisms we are using to maximise our resources and maximise the opportunities that we have for development issues. Also, (we) talked about cooperation  with the broader international financial architecture in the world as a whole, so we have been exchanging a lot of views,” President Ramotar said.
Mr. Moreno, in an invited comment, said: “On the one hand the strategy we  are developing, the country strategy with the Government of Guyana, the president of course talked to me about the project which we and the Government of Guyana have been very engaged in, the Amaila Falls project; well you know there is still a lot of work to be done but we continue looking at all the possibilities for this project.”
The IDB head also noted that himself and President Ramotar spoke about the current situation in Guyana and the energy possibilities. “As always, it was a very good discussion with the President,” Mr. Moreno commented.
The Engineering Procurement and Construction agreement (EPC) for the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro project and Transmission Line was signed on September 11 in China by Sithe Global and China Railway First Group.
The Amaila Falls hydro is considered  the largest transformative project in Guyana and has on board other prestigious partners such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the IDB, and the Government of Norway.
The contract, valued US$506M, indicates an important signpost in the development of the US$840M Amaila Falls Hydro project which is expected by mid-2013.
Meanwhile, President Ramotar is set to meet with the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) and the Government of Norway, before addressing the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Thursday.
The Head of State would be one of two leaders from the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Region to be installed by the UN Secretary-General on the Education First Initiative, that is aimed at working on education via a global partnership to have a better quality and all inclusive education for all.
The IOM is currently working with the Guyana Government on a Diaspora Initiative, which will be launched by President Ramotar on September 27 in New York.
This initiative will seek to map the skills in the Diaspora, where there are many skilled Guyanese willing to contribute to their country’s development. (GINA)