GWI waiving all reconnection, tampering fees

Nov 18, 2009 News

– honest ‘illegals’ to benefit

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has promised that all individuals that go forward to the water company to reveal their illegal connections will receive immediate regularised connections, and will also have the fees attached to tampering and reconnection waivered.
This is according to the Chief Executive Yuri Chandisingh, National Revenue Manager Earle Aaron and Director of Finance Ravin Paltoo.
The promise comes out of the “Catch the Waive” promotion launched yesterday at the GWI office. The promotion is aimed at those customers that have been disconnected for outstanding water charges prior to October 31, 2009.

From left: PRO Timothy Austin, GWI Chief Executive Yuri Chandisingh, National Revenue Manager Earle Aaron and Director of Finance Ravin Paltoo

The disconnected customer that makes payments on or before November 30th, 2009, will not be charged reconnection fees. The promotion allows for customers to make payments for outstanding charges only.
However, should there be any customer that cannot afford to pay the full outstanding charges, they will be signed up for an affordable payment plan. “We urge our disconnected customers to take charge of this limited offer and have their service reconnected legally at no cost,” said Aaron.
According to Aaron, the promotion is in keeping with the festive season where the use of water is important to the completion of preparations for the upcoming celebrations. He said that the corporation is aiming at “reaching out in a more meaningful way,” to the public and that the ‘Waive Promotion’ is not about losing money, but rather about providing a service.
Chandisingh was in agreement with his Revenue Manager, and emphasised that the GWI is a customer friendly corporation and that it was from that connection that the genesis of the promotion came about.
He reiterated that the GWI in no way wants to disconnect anyone and that it (the corporation) is encouraging those who have illegal connections to notify the corporation before November 30th. By doing so within the time frame they would have a waiver on all tampering and reconnection fees.
Paltoo told media operatives that this promotion would allow individuals with current illegal connections to “start the new year guilt-free.” He added that this form of giving back to the public “only happens once…..it is not going to happen again.”
Paltoo explained that although Guyana is the land of many waters, there is still a cost attached to managing and channeling that water to the individual homes in and around the country.
Aaron further emphasised that any person that reconnects their water service will face harsh penalties under the Water and Sewerage Act 2002. Any customer found in a residential area with an illegal reconnection will face a fine of $6000, while businesses found with the illegal connections will face a $13,000 fine.
Anyone found to have connected themselves to the GWI network can face jail time or in the case of businesses up to a $50,000 fine. Aaron also disclosed that after the promotion, “agents will be sent into the fields,” to seek out illegal connections.
(Andrunie Harris)