Eagerly awaited consultations by the Energy Ministry with stakeholders are expected to be held within the next month, Permanent Secretary Selwyn Lashley indicated yesterday.He did so after being pressed on the issue by Finance Minister Colm Imbert at yesterday's Parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Energy Affairs.
Ministry officials at previous JSC meetings had been asked when the long awaited caucus with stakeholders would be held but got no firm replies. Before the recent mid-year budget review, Imbert also asked the ministry when the consultation would be done. Yesterday, he said replies on the issue given by ministry representatives at a previous JSC meetings seemed to loosely indicate they would have the consultation "when they had it". He called for a specific timeline.
Lashley said the structure for the consultation had changed from an initial proposal of having two to three large assemblies, to the current suggestion for small groups involving upstream and downstream players to have exchanges. He initially couldn't give a timeframe but Imbert, pressed for a timeline, saying small industry players wanted him to review the supplemental petroleum tax which they felt was outdated.
He said he needed to settle that matter after receiving suggestions to examine it in terms of profitability rather than price. Lashley then said he projected the consultation would be held within the next month or so in a series of stakeholder forums.
Imbert also urged the ministry to examine arbitration for companies which manipulated the spirit of contracts–a situation which ministry officials confirmed has happened in some cases. JSC member, Rural Development Minister Franklin Khan, said the state was forgoing revenues resulting from such flawed contracts, monitoring issues and other matters and suggested the ministry renegotiate contracts on the basis of "changed circumstance.s"
Lashley also confirmed that the ministry has 144 vacancies for a mix of personnel. Deputy Permanent Secretary Heidi Wong added that it involves contracted and established posts and a proposal to deal with the issue is now before the Public Service Commission. She said the vacancy situation had been going on for a long time due to restructuring which was taking a long time. She said each administration takes time to review structures.
JSC member Independent Senator David Small, estimating that the ministry is operating at 65 per cent of its manpower, said he supported the Finance Ministry giving Energy the support it needs to get resources to do the job properly. Imbert confirmed that his ministry will lend such support and will entertain suggestions such as having a professional personnel allowance.