CHAIRMAN of the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET) Dr Vincent Lawrence yesterday all but confirmed ongoing speculation that he could soon step down as head of the body, which was set up to manage the procurement process for the diversification of the country’s energy mix.

At a press conference held at Jamaica House yesterday to provide an update on the implementation of the various energy projects, Dr Lawrence skirted questions about his tenure as chairman of the six-member team.

“I’m fairly satisfied that I have done my work. When you do your work, what happens?” he asked when quizzed about his intentions.

“I have great confidence in the ability of others to ensure continuity,” he later remarked.

He also disclosed that he had, in fact, met with Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“We had a discussion and I agreed with him that I would ensure that they (the projects) get to the stage where there is certainty… I will have to have another discussion with the prime minister,” the chairman said when further pressed about whether he would step away from ESET.

Speaking in the House of Representatives last month, Finance Minister Audley Shaw said the Government had asked members of ESET to continue their work. He, however, indicated that there was an issue with Dr Lawrence’s chairmanship of the team and that this would be taken up personally by Holness.

The rocky relationship between the Jamaica Labour Party, which now forms the Government, and Dr Lawrence goes far back. Shaw, in 2005, amidst the Sandals Whitehouse hotel controversy, said Lawrence had questions to answer regarding his affiliation with a Bahamas incorporated subsidiary of Ashtrom Building Systems, which was awarded the contract to build the hotel in Westmoreland.

Lawrence was at the time chairman of the board of the Urban Development Corporation, which was part-owner of the property.

The other members of ESET are former president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Christopher Zacca; trade unionist Helene Davis-Whyte; academician Professor Alvin Wint; chairman of the Seprod Group of Companies, PB Scott; and energy consultant, Winston Hay.

ESET was set up in mid-2014 to lead and manage the procurement process for the development of additional baseload generation capacity and related facilities in order to significantly reduce the cost of electricity to consumers and diversify the country’s fuel supply.

— Alphea Saunders