Amid strong criticism of it over an apparent budget deal with the government, APNU today issued a statement calling on the government to implement a series of relief measures for the mining town of Linden before raising electricity tariffs.
Residents of Linden have been adamantly opposed to the tariff increases and staged a shutdown of the town on Wednesday in protest. That very day an APNU delegation met with President Donald Ramotar and a government team at the Office of the President and reached a series of agreements including raising the old age pension to $10,000 per month but there appeared to be no firm agreement to defer the proposed hike in tariffs from July. The government said in this year’s budget that it will be gradually reducing the power subsidy to Linden.
APNU secured a commitment from the government to address other issues like the longstanding dust nuisance in the town and the need for loans for small businesses but these did not appear to have firm time lines attached. It is these things that APNU is today urging the government to implement before raising tariffs. Problems like the dust nuisance have been on the agenda for decades without being properly addressed and it is unclear whether there will be a change in the short-term. The present bauxite operator at Linden, Bosai has failed many deadlines to implement dust control measures and has given a new one for June, 2012 for one kiln and October, 2012 for the other kiln.
The release follows:
“A Partnership for National Unity (A.P.N.U.) has reiterated its support for the rights of residents of Linden in particular, and Region No. 10, in general, in its response to the statement by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in the National Assembly on Thursday 19th April.
“APNU wishes to assert that it took the initiative to halt the unilateral imposition of increased electricity tariffs in support of Lindeners and other residents who staged protests in the town on Wednesday 18th April. APNU insisted that the situation in the Region was such that the higher tariffs proposed by the Government would cause unbearable distress to residents who cannot afford the new rates under present conditions.
“APNU stated, also, that it was out of concern for residents that it insisted that certain outstanding measures be put in place in the shortest possible time. These include, among others, the establishment of micro-financing business facilities through the reactivation of the Linden Economic Network (LEN); the liberalization of radio and television broadcasting and the installation of systems to bring an end to the bauxite dust nuisance within a specific time-frame.
APNU urged the Government to ensure that the systems, whenever they are eventually implemented, placed the least of the burden on those least able to afford an increase in rates. The Government, therefore, committed to be guided by the principles of “gradualism and selectivity” in its approach to the adjustment of electricity tariffs.
“APNU urged the Government, also, to ensure that relief measures are implemented before any changes are made to the electricity tariffs.”
