Every now and then we feel obliged to publish comments that appear online at our website www.themontserratreporter.com. Winston Pond is a Montserratian living in North America, who often leaves comments with reference to energy and particularly geothermal. He is obviously one of the counted who provides over 750,000 hits on the site per month.
Winston after reading the headline news of Governor Davis’ first press conference sought explanation from Governor Davis who immediately shows his serious intent at being transparent and his willingness for dialogue on the issues.
The following arose out of the front page story of May 6, 2011 “Governor Davis – priorities for Montserrat.”
Winston Pond asks:
I would like the governor to explain, what is small Island mentality?
Governor Adrian Davis:
Winston,
I mean that, in an age of globalisation, Montserrat need not be constrained by the fact that it is a small island. It should welcome tourists and investors, show it is open for business, and that are opportunities for growth and profitable investment. A lot of things need to happen for this vision to become a reality, but let’s work together to make it happen.
Winston Pond
Dear Governor Davis,
The people of Montserrat never tried to stop tourists, investors or businesses from coming to Montserrat with good intentions.
Is it the people in CRM or MGI you are referring to as open for business and not be constrained by the fact that we are small?
CRM or MGI are operating under false pretense and not in the interest of Montserratians.
One thing that is going to stay with the people and government of Montserrat is the geothermal power because it is worth more money than what the investors have and CRM or MGI cannot buy it so I do not know what you mean by small Island mentality.
After we get geothermal power there will be a lot of businesses that the government and people will welcome.
Please tell us what qualifies CRM or MGI that they should own the geothermal power.
The government and people, geothermal power is greater than any investor. so why should they own the geothermal power and not the government?
When you are saying let us work together, why don’t you tell CRM or MGI to let us work together instead of fighting for five years to take away Montserrat’s geothermal power from the government and people of Montserrat?
The British is giving the government the geothermal power and all Montserratians welcome the British offer so why should the British now give it to CRM or MGI?
The same things you have in your mind about us with Small Island mentality is the same things MGI and DFID have in their mind why they do not want the government to own the geothermal power.
What is wrong with the government and people to own the geothermal power?
Governor Adrian Davis,
There is obviously a basic misconception here. DFID and the Government of Montserrat are indeed actively considering financing the drilling of a production well, which will give greater certainty (around 95% probability) of what reserves Montserrat has. We are not proposing to hand this over to CRM or MGI. Knowing what reserves Montserrat has will enable the Government to negotiate much better terms with private sector investors in the future.
