Sitting tuesday 23 june 2009

(No. B/606)

Mr E. Guimbeau (First Member for Curepipe and Midlands) asked the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Renewable Energy and Public Utilities whether, in regard to the High Powered Committee set up to look into the different aspects and components of the Compagnie Thermique du Sud Ltée project, he will state if the Committee had submitted a report and, if so, table copy thereof.

The Minister of Housing and Lands (Dr. A. Kasenally): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with your permission, I shall answer to this question. The hon. Member may wish to refer to the reply made to Parliamentary Question B/1410 in December 2008.

As previously mentioned, an agreement was signed between Government and the Mauritius Sugar Producers’ Association in April 2008, providing inter alia that Government and MSPA will appoint jointly an independent expert or entity of international repute and with the appropriate expertise to review the energy sector with regard to the Independent Power Producers.

In November 2008, an international bidding exercise was carried out jointly by Government and MSPA. I can now inform the hon. Member that an independent Consultancy firm, Hunton and Williams LLP, based in USA has been appointed. The Consultant has started the review on 08 June 2009 and will submit a report after twelve weeks.

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, just to inform the House, the hon. Minister has not answered the PQ which is as follows: “in regard to the High Powered Committee set up to look into the different aspects and components of the CTSL”. He has not answered the question.

Dr. Kasenally: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, this consultant firm will look into all the aspects of the problem raised by the Minister not only Compagnie Thermique du Sud Ltée but all the other IPPs as well.

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, can we know from the hon. Minister the reason why the proposed Commission of Inquiry has been replaced by an Inter-Ministerial Committee and then replaced by a High Powered Committee?

Dr. Kasenally: The Inter-Ministerial Committee works together with a committee of the MSPA to set up this International Committee and it is going to look into all the aspects as I have mentioned.

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in reply to PQ B/812, the hon. Prime Minister stated: “in the light of preliminary findings of an Inter-Ministerial committee, I shall consider the advisability of setting up a full commission of inquiry so as to get to the bottom of the matter”. I would like to know if in the preliminary findings, the committee has found any scandale du siècle as it was stated by the Minister of Finance or any magouille as it was stated by hon. Deerpalsing. We would like to know in the findings where matters stand?

The Deputy Speaker: Please put your question.

(Interruptions)

No cross talking hon. Sithanen! Thank you. You stand up if you want to speak. It

is the Minister who is replying for now. Thank you!

Dr. Kasenally: In fact, it was not on an inter-Ministerial committee but there were other members in the committee and it was decided on the basis of what we have found to discuss jointly with the MSPA to set up and to ask for international tender for an independent and high powered arbitrator or experts to look into all the aspects. I don’t want to procrastinate or see whether there was a scandal. We will leave it to the international consultant to decide on that.

Mr Guimbeau: Mr Speaker, Sir, if there has not been any Commission of Inquiry, that means that there has not been any scandale du siècle or any magouille. Can the hon. Minister…

The Deputy Speaker: No, I will not allow this question.

(Interruptions)

Order, please!

Mr Guimbeau: M. le président, la conclusion de tout ce qu’on a fait autour de CTDS, c’est de la pure démagogie, à connotation raciste…

The Deputy Speaker: I will ask the hon. Member to withdraw this word ‘racist’ in this House. It will not be allowed in this House.

(Interruptions)

The hon. Member is being requested to withdraw the word ‘racist’ in this House.

Mr Guimbeau: I can withdraw, but there was a hidden agenda during the last campaign, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

(Interruptions)

The Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, please, I am on my feet! We are not actually working in an orderly manner. No improper word is to be used; no unparliamentary word is to be used. Please, do not start imputing motives, at any stage, in the proceedings of this House. You are being allowed to put your question. Put them, and that is enough. Thank you!

Mr Guimbeau: It is not good, it is not proper to make demagogy on such issues, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. This is the whole point I am raising. During the last electoral campaign, the Prime Minister was stating that there was magouille…

The Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member, please put the question, and that will do. Thank you!

Mr Guimbeau: To conclude, I want to know from the hon. Minister…

(Interruptions)

The Deputy Speaker: Please, put the question. Thank you!

Mr Guimbeau: The Minister is hiding the truth, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

The House would like know what is the conclusion of the findings of this report.

Dr. Kasenally: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think the hon. Member’s imagination is running wild, and he is imputing motives.

The Deputy Speaker: Please, do not impute motives. Just answer the question, hon. Minister.

Dr. Kasenally: Yes, that’s what I am coming to answer. The hon. Member is provoking me.

The Deputy Speaker: Then, do not be provoked.

(Interruptions)

Dr. Kasenally: I am not afraid of Phoenix! I can say whatever I said…

The Deputy Speaker: Please, just answer the question.

(Interruptions)

Order, please!

Dr. Kasenally: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member is entitled to his opinion, and I cannot comment on that.

The Deputy Speaker: Thank you.