Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Govt official’s relative gets high-paying job in GPL
Questions are being asked about a senior manager hired by Guyana Power and Light Inc.
There are questions over the appointment of Colin Welch, a senior official of GPL.
(GPL) under unclear circumstances.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Technical), Colin Welch, was hired in 2013 and placed in charge of the state-owned power company’s Loss Reduction Department. He was also responsible for overseeing GPL’s multi-billion dollar projects. However, there is no evidence that the vacancy was ever advertised.
There are also indications that the position did not exist before and was created in 2013 to accommodate him.
Kaieteur News was reliably informed that Welch, who reportedly lived overseas for a while, is related to a senior government official.
The top brass say that they know precious little about Welch. They say that they cannot confirm or deny his salary. They simply do not know it.
He is reportedly earning in excess of $2 million per month and was said to have been hired directly by the Board of Directors of GPL.
There have been no announcements in the press of his appointment to the new position although according to reports, the Company was preparing to issue a press release some two years ago.
GPL sources said that not much is known about Welch and his background in the power sector – he just appeared one day.
GPL has been under scrutiny not only because of the blackout situation but because of a number of large scale projects it has embarked on to deal with generation and efficiency.
The Company recently commissioned a US$26M new power plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara and a US$40M project to string new transmission lines along the coastland with seven new sub-stations being built.
It is embarking on another major project to improve its management structure, efficiency and new metering technology, among other things.
GPL recently said that it has made a deal to purchase the five-year-old power co-generation power plant of the new Skeldon sugar factory in Corentyne, Berbice.
GPL is under pressure to bring down its technical and commercial losses, estimated at 30 percent.
The state-owned company is the largest provider of electricity in Guyana.
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