Latest update August 22nd, 2026 10:10 AM
GPL taking too long to process claim
Bourda stall fire…
On July 20 last, Jean Rajnarina’s Bourda market stall (Sections K4) was burnt to ashes. Her losses are pegged at $3 million and she is now claiming a delay in the process of being compensated by the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL).
According to the woman, several complaints filed were not looked into, but she was still given further dates to return.
When Kaieteur News made contact with the power company, an official explained that customers who suffered losses by fire caused by GPL electrical wires would have to file a complaint.
It was noted that the complaint would then be processed and a GPL investigation would be carried out to determine the causes. The procedure also would entail the victim of the fire waiting for a period of time before compensation since there are numerous other complaints filed almost daily.
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told this newspaper that the company has adopted a ‘first filed, first served policy’.
“People tend to blame GPL for all the fires that happen in Guyana, and whether or not we choose to believe that, we still have to follow with an investigation to ascertain the claims made,” the official said.
The GPL official pointed out that in many of the investigations, it was found that GPL was not at fault, thus time wasted. It was also explained that many persons have illegal connections from power poles to their stalls or homes and when a fire erupts, GPL is blamed.
However, according to the businesswoman “it has been since July that fire had taken away my means of making a dollar- that is sufficient time for them to process my complaint and render me some compensation.”
She added that the fire service did an investigation, which revealed the fire started back to the power pole outside her stall.
Jean, who had rebuilt her Bourda market stall with the help of loans from friends and family, said she has been working very hard to pay it back. To compound this, business is very slow.
“The origin of the fire was from the lantern pole outside my stall and it’s unfair that I have to bear this burden without any assistance from Guyana Power and Light,” she stated.
Bourda stall fire…
On July 20 last, Jean Rajnarina’s Bourda market stall (Sections K4) was burnt to ashes. Her losses are pegged at $3 million and she is now claiming a delay in the process of being compensated by the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL).
According to the woman, several complaints filed were not looked into, but she was still given further dates to return.
When Kaieteur News made contact with the power company, an official explained that customers who suffered losses by fire caused by GPL electrical wires would have to file a complaint.
It was noted that the complaint would then be processed and a GPL investigation would be carried out to determine the causes. The procedure also would entail the victim of the fire waiting for a period of time before compensation since there are numerous other complaints filed almost daily.
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told this newspaper that the company has adopted a ‘first filed, first served policy’.
“People tend to blame GPL for all the fires that happen in Guyana, and whether or not we choose to believe that, we still have to follow with an investigation to ascertain the claims made,” the official said.
The GPL official pointed out that in many of the investigations, it was found that GPL was not at fault, thus time wasted. It was also explained that many persons have illegal connections from power poles to their stalls or homes and when a fire erupts, GPL is blamed.
However, according to the businesswoman “it has been since July that fire had taken away my means of making a dollar- that is sufficient time for them to process my complaint and render me some compensation.”
She added that the fire service did an investigation, which revealed the fire started back to the power pole outside her stall.
Jean, who had rebuilt her Bourda market stall with the help of loans from friends and family, said she has been working very hard to pay it back. To compound this, business is very slow.
“The origin of the fire was from the lantern pole outside my stall and it’s unfair that I have to bear this burden without any assistance from Guyana Power and Light,” she stated.
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