A three-month deadline was set by Minister of Infrastructure Arden McLean for concluding the government’s ongoing licence renewal negotiations with Caribbean Utilities Company.
Mr. McLean announced the deadline during Finance Committee Friday in which a supplementary budget allocation of CI$169,457 over the original approved $34,292 was sought to cover the government’s added costs in the negotiations
‘We did not anticipate the negotiations would have taken so long,’ Mr. McLean said in response to a question about the delayed negotiations from West Bay MLA Rolston Anglin.
The negotiations recommenced after a 14-month break caused by Hurricane Ivan in November 2005. Mr. McLean wants to see them concluded in the short term.
‘We have now put a timeframe of three months to complete the talks,’ he added. ‘One way or another, they are going to be concluded.’
Mr. McLean said that while there was agreement on many of the issues, there were still a few sticking points that needed discussion.
CUC President and CEO Richard Hew was unaware Mr. McLean had set the deadline when contacted Friday afternoon.
However, Mr. Hew said he believed a deal could be reached in the timeframe.
‘Mechanically, a lot of legal drafting that would have to be done, but if we come to an agreement, it could be completed within three months,’ he said, adding that it would be to the benefit of all stakeholders if that were to happen.
Mr. Hew declined to comment on what the sticking points were in the negotiations, or about whether it is possible to reach an agreement on those points in the timeframe given. However, he did say CUC was willing and committed to the process of getting the negotiations finalised.
Electricity Regulatory Authority Managing Director Phil Thomas, who is part of the government’s negotiating team, said there is a negotiation meeting scheduled for 4 April at which a timetable for meetings will be discussed with the view of concluding the negotiations within Mr. McLean’s timeframe.
Mr. Thomas said that the meetings in the past had taken place as frequently as two or three in a month or as infrequently as once a month. It was likely however, that the frequency of meetings would have to increase to meet the new deadline.
‘If it means meeting every week, we’ll meet every week; whatever it takes to get the job done,’ Mr. Thomas said.
Mr. Hew agreed that meetings would have to occur more often to meet the deadline.
‘Obviously, if we’re going to get this thing done in three months, we’re going to have to be very active,’ he said.
The clock on the deadline has been ticking since negotiations resumed a few weeks ago, Mr. McLean stated later, adding that he had said the negotiations were to be concluded ‘within three or four months.’
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