Georgetown : A high level team is expected in Guyana next week Wednesday where all of the necessary disclosures will be made as it relates to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Government of Guyana and Ansa McalGroup of Companies. This is according to the Managing Director of the local subsidiary of the 64 member group of companies, Ms. Beverly Harper, when pressed by this publication as it relates to the MoU and the proposed plant.
While she said that there was not much she could disclose about the affair she did stressed that at present there is only a feasibility study being undertaken to determine the viability of such an ethanol plant. The Director stressed that at present there is no financing arrangements in place and that the land for which the agreement with the Government has been inked is for 110,000 (approx. 425 square miles) hectares of virgin land which she referred to as swamplands in the Canjie Basin.
Harper stressed that in the agreement with the Government no lands already under cultivation for the use of agriculture could have been utilized. The operations of the sugarcane fields for the proposed ethanol plant which has proved to be a dilemma for the Guyana Sugar Corporation for decades will in this case be heavily mechanized. The plant is expected to focus its production on export but there are signs that the administration maybe moving to legislate the mandatory use of an ethanol/gasoline.
When contacted earlier today Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency, Mr. Mahender Sharma, which would regulate and monitor the operations of the ethanol plant requested that all questions be sent to him in writing. He refused to divulge any information by way of telephone.
Vidya King, Anthony Sabga III Assistant in Trinidad and Tobago told this publication that he would be unavailable until Monday. Melissa Chambers the Project Manager for the group of Companies and also based in Trinidad and Tobago said that she was not authorized to make any pronouncement on the issue.
The MoU was signed by Anthony N Sabga III, business development executive, Ansa McalGroup; Dr Roger Luncheon, head of the presidential secretariat and Desmond Mohamed, chief executive officer (former), Guyana Office for Investment. It was witnessed by Robert M. Persaud, former Minister of Agriculture, Aneal Maharaj, Group finance director, Ansa McAl and Beverley Harper, managing director Ansa McAlTrading Guyana. The agreement was signed on September 30, 2011.
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