Barbados
The Barbados Ministry of Energy and Business is currently hosting a three-day Procurement Design Workshop with key stakeholders including RELP – Renewables for All, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Inter-American Development Bank, Deloitte, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the International Finance Corporation. The workshop being held at the Warrens Office Complex represents the final stage of the collaborative efforts by a consortium of storage systems experts. These experts have been assisting Barbados since early 2024 to tackle the gridlock issue and promote the transition to renewable energy.
One of the main outcomes is the announcement that Barbados will soon launch procurement process to acquire Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) which are vitally needed to support the grid and allow the many stalled solar photo voltaic (PV) systems to proceed. The electric grid is currently at capacity with Barbados Light and Power unable to connect new PV systems to the grid without additional storage.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Senator Lisa Cummins, Minister of Energy and Business said: “This has been an absolutely urgent priority for our Government, and the partners have spent a lot of time collaborating with my amazing team because they understand how critical this is….
“The discussions over the next few days will take us into closure on the process where we can get battery energy storage systems into the country. In many ways this is a watershed moment that many have been waiting for.”
Since the beginning of this year, a consortium of experts has been supporting Barbados in its advancement with renewable energy, and the resulting pressures and demands on the electrical grid. Minister Cummins praised the work being done by the various partners which has included a grid characterisation study, with the findings presented last week:
“What they have shared with us and will share with the market over the coming days in market sounding sessions will take us a far way towards completing the design for a cost effective and price competitive battery energy storage system for Barbados. We hope to launch the first BESS procurement shortly, based on the timelines that we have seen coming into the development plan.”
She noted that local agencies have also played an active role, including the Fair Trading Commission, the Barbados Central Bank, Government Procurement, GEED, the Bankers’ Association and other relevant associations.
The workshop and meetings will conclude on 30th July with local industry stakeholders invited to a market sounding session. Once the procurement of the BESS systems is concluded, new residential and commercial PV projects will once again be able to connect to the grid.
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Bahamas
THE government must be more transparent about its spending, said Opposition leader Michael Pintard yesterday, saying that the FNM will not support any “additional revenue measure” until the Davis administration fully implements the Freedom of Information Act and abides by the Public Procurement Act.
“First, this Davis-led PLP administration should not come to the Bahamian people with any proposed
significant tax measure unless it is accompanied by a clear and documented plan to contain government spending and eliminate the wasteful and gratuitous spending by public officials and public entities,” said Mr Pintard.
“Second, the FNM will not support any discussion on additional revenue measures until this administration fully implements the Freedom of Information Act and begins to follow the provisions of the Public Procurement Act which would provide the public with the details on who are getting government contracts and in what amounts. No more blank cheques for the Davis administration. They must show the Bahamian people how they are spending their tax dollars before asking for more.”
On Monday, the Davis administration released its draft domestic minimum top-up tax bill for consultation revealing its plans to implement a Pillar 2 corporate tax.
The 15 percent corporate tax on profits will apply to large multinational enterprises (MNEs) with at least €750m in annual turnover and is intended to ensure The Bahamas complies and fulfills its obligations as one of 140 countries that have signed on to the G-20/ Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
The consultation process will end on September 16, with the bill anticipated to be submitted for Parliament approval on October 9.
Mr Pintard criticised the Davis administration for not undergoing “robust public consultation and education” about the corporate minimum tax since its green paper was published last year and said the FNM did not receive a “substantive” response when it offered feedback on its implementation.
“This Green Paper was supposed to be the start of a fulsome national conversation and dialogue on major tax and fiscal reform. As is convention, the Green Paper ought to have been followed with robust public consultation and education – after which a White Paper should have been published with a clearly articulated policy and related strategy for tax and fiscal reform that would be informed by the outcomes of the national discourse and debate ” said Mr Pintard.
“Unfortunately, after we in the opposition and other stakeholders provided written feedback on the Green Paper as requested, the government abandoned the national consultation. We never received a substantive response. No public engagement was undertaken. No White Paper was prepared.”
In a letter addressed to Simon Wilson, Financial Secretary on July 31, 2023, Mr Pintard said he did not oppose a corporate income tax in principle given the international pressures and The Bahamas’ commitment to the G-20/OECD 15 percent “global minimum tax” drive. However, he added that the implementation of such a tax must be accompanied by “fulsome reform…. that would abolish” the current business licence fee regime that is levied on companies’ gross turnovers as opposed to net profits.
Mr Pintard added that The Bahamas has an “obligation to get it right” on tax reform through wide consultation, conducting the necessary empirical studies and seeking expert advice.
Also calling for a system of tax credits and incentives to be created for Bahamian firms that hire more workers, or invest in expansion, under a corporate income tax, Mr Pintard argued that should such a levy be implemented it must “respect” Freeport’s free trade zone status and not be imposed on the city’s businesses.
And the Opposition leader added that any tax reform, whether corporate income or otherwise, needed to align with the government’s fiscal targets and objectives of eliminating the annual deficit and cutting the debt-to-GDP ratio to 50 percent by generating sufficient revenues.
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Guyana
Guyana Power and Light, a publicly owned utility, has kicked off a tender to select an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for three solar plants with battery energy storage. The deadline for applications is Sept. 26.
Guyana Power and Light has launched a tender for an EPC contractor to build three solar plants in Guyana with a combined 15 MWp capacity and 22 MWh of battery storage. Applications are due by Sept. 26, according to the tender documents.
The publicly owned utility company is executing the tender on behalf of the national government. Financing for the projects will come from funds under the Guyana-Norway partnership.
A complete set of bidding documents can be purchased for a non-refundable fee of GYD 20,000 ($95). Bids must be received via post by Sept. 26.
Guyana had 8 MW of deployed solar at the end of last year, according to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
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Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic state hydroelectric company Egehid’s push to add non-conventional renewable energies has advanced with a solar project award.
Documents seen by BNamericas show that Consorcio Solar del Sur (Consosur) was selected for the engineering, procurement and construction of the 22MW Domingo Rodríguez park in San Juan province.
Consosur is comprised of RAAS Solar and Solar World Stain and the contract value is 1.11 billion pesos (US$19 million). The consortium has 12 months to complete the project.
For its part, Caribbean Coast General Contractors was awarded the contract to supervise the work.
In recent days, Egehid put into operation a 3MW solar array at the Brazo Derecho hydro, which the company said, “marks the beginning of an ambitious plan to diversify Egehid’s generation matrix.”
The state operator has bidding underway for the 50MW Tierra Nueva wind project and its development pipeline includes the 10MW Brazo Derecho wind project.
Egehid also has a call in place to build the La Gina multipurpose hydro project, the bidding deadline for which was extended to September 10.
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Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica — In response to allegations made by Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Peter Bunting, regarding the SPARK Programme, the Government of Jamaica has reassured the public that the initiative is being conducted with transparency and in accordance with the law.
The ‘Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network’ (SPARK) Programme aims to improve road conditions island-wide.
Bunting, who was speaking on a political platform over the weekend, said “Dem run this likkle con business weh dem talking bout SPARK programme” while lamenting that despite the government’s indications that the programme is transparent, he believes Chinese companies will be awarded the majority of contracts under the initiative.
“Dem done know who a get the contracts already…me a prophesy say is a Chinese company a get dat contract,” he said, while also claiming that the government will be using the programme’s funds to finance the upcoming elections.
“You mark my word, the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) a go nyam out most a dat money,” Bunting alleged.
However, in its release on Monday, the government outlined that the $40 billion initiative is designed to promote sustainable community development across Jamaica and shared that the procurement process for the programme is conducted in adherence with local laws and international best practices.
“All contract packages will be subject to approval by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Cabinet. Additionally, all contracts, as is customary, will be reported to the Integrity Commission, ensuring full compliance with regulatory standards and transparency,” the release outlined, highlighting key aspects of the initiative.
The statement further noted that the narrative currently surrounding the initiative is baseless and seeks to “detract from the positive impact this programme aims to achieve.”
“The SPARK Programme is committed to working collaboratively with communities to ensure that the benefits of the programme are realized in a fair, transparent, and effective manner. This initiative is a testament to our dedication to building a better Jamaica for all citizens, free from political influence and focused on genuine community upliftment,” the release continued.
In another release addressing Bunting’s claims, Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, on Monday described the allegations as “evil and barefaced.”
“The fact of the matter is this programme has met the standard of probity and will address a critical need of the Jamaican people for better roads,” she said in her statement.
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