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{
    "id": 424043,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/424043/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Lesan",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 506,
        "legal_name": "Wilfred Rottich Lesan",
        "slug": "wilfred-rottich-lesan"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir for giving me this opportunity to make some contributions to this Report. First, I want to thank Members of this Committee for the Report they have laid in the House which gives us a hands-on feeling of what they experienced when they went out to assess the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) programmes. I want to come nearer home and closer to the people who will be affected by these programmes. I have seen some recommendations that were made by the Committee with regard to counties where GDC programmes have been going on or where the wells are found. I want to bring to the attention of this House issues about the conflict between the locals and the GDC or the institutions that will implement this programme. In the very beginning, they appeared to be very simple. However, the conflict with the locals is, perhaps, the genesis of what eventually boomerangs or grows into a major conflict for the benefit of these resources. These programmes are being established in areas where there are people living. It is important that we pay attention to the population that may not have a big voice at the beginning but who stay and are localised in the area where the commodities are found. It is important that we pay attention to these people from the very beginning. Displacement should not be one of the things to happen as these institutions are being set up, especially the geothermal power plants. If this happens in areas that have settlements, it is important that the people there are treated and moved in a civilized manner so that they do not develop bitterness to these very worthwhile developments that are being carried on. It is, therefore, very important that the benefits that accrue from the programmes touch these people from the very onset. In this regard, I am looking at things that have been mentioned by my colleague, Sen. Khalwale, about the carbon benefits. These are benefits that we do not have to wait for long to realise. These are benefits that accrue almost immediately. It is important that we get to know the qualities and quantities of the benefits that accrue from carbon. It is important that we have personnel in this country that have the capacity to audit carbon credits. We have a lot of auditors in this country who can audit cash and other things. However, auditing carbon is a very specialized area that this country may need to produce individuals that can audit this new commodity. Auditing of oil, as well, for us to know how many barrels we have exported in this country is also a tricky area. We do not have, in this country, people who can audit oil. We should not assume that the oil will come from the ground clean. It comes with tonnes of sand, water and every other thing. It is important for us to know that people who are helping us man the petroleum know how many barrels they have got from the ground after they have the percentages of water, sand and the other things. It is important that The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}