FALMOUTH,Trelawny — Opposition Leader Mark Golding has indicated that if the People’s National Party (PNP) is elected to form the next Government, former Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell, who has been credited with the transformation of the telecommunications sector, will be given the job to pull off a similar feat in the energy sector in an effort to lower the price of electricity.

Golding revealed that the transformation of the energy sector is one of the policies that his shadow Cabinet is now working on which he is looking forward to implementing.

“Energy has to be a critical component of the economy we want to build, and I have a Comrade who holds that portfolio, who is a man who has shown he can think outside the box, and he can transform a situation from one where the country was under the yoke of an old system and flip it around to a new system where everybody gets the benefit, and I will be working with you to achieve that kind of transformational outcome in energy,” said Golding as he addressed the Trelawny Northern annual constituency conference at the William Knibb Memorial High School on Sunday, where Dr Wykeham McNeill was officially introduced as the party’s standard-bearer for the constituency.

“An economy has to be built on energy. We want to create a Jamaica where you don’t have to go to foreign to make it in life, you can make it right here. [A Jamaica] where you can achieve your hopes and dreams because the opportunities are created for each and every Jamaican. That is our vision, and it has been that vision since 1938 and it will continue to be the vision,” added Golding.

In his address to Comrades, Paulwell, who revealed that himself and Dr McNeill were recruited by former party president PJ Patterson in 1997, told supporters that he was up to the task Golding had assigned him.

“The party leader has given me a challenge. He said to me, ‘Comrade Paulwell, just like how you liberalised communications and mek people get dem cellphones and people can have broadband communication, I have a mission for you when I become prime minister. We have to solve electricity in Jamaica once and for all.’ Him say just like how you democratise telecommunications I want you to democratise electricity,” said Paulwell.

“There are some people who believe that they can only get electricity one way. But the party leader say to me I want you [to] solarise Jamaica from Negril Point to Morant Point. I want to see solar panels on the roof of every house. I want to see inverter batteries, I want the price of electricity to come down because it is too expensive in our country.

“And party leader, I pledge, as youthful and as exuberant as I used to be, I will become your energy god and to bring solution to this problem that we [have] faced for so long,” added Paulwell who served as minister of science, technology, energy and mining in previous PNP administrations.

In the meantime, Golding told supporters that McNeill’s father, Dr Kenneth McNeill, was his father’s first friend when he came to Jamaica in 1953.

“His father met my father at the wharf, he was sent by The University of the West Indies to meet my father. So my father’s first friend in Jamaica was Wykeham’s father. That’s how far our families go back,” Golding said.

“And I know that tonight my father and his father are up there smiling together that this is happening here in north Trelawny,” added Golding.

Last year the PNP removed its standard in the constituency, Dennis Meadows, hours after a video went viral of him seemingly endorsing scamming.

McNeill, who lost the Westmoreland Western constituency in the 2020 General Election, was then selected to replace Meadows in Trelawny Northern, which is now held by the Jamaica Labour Party’s Tova Hamilton.

Meadows was returned unopposed as the constituency’s chairman during the private session of the conference.