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GWI addresses Pensioners’ queries on “subsidy for water”

Feb 07, 2011 News

Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) recently met with the Pensioners’ Association of Guyana to increase its public awareness campaign on the Pensioners’ Subsidy for water.
According to GWI’s Public Relations Officer, Timothy Austin, over 30 pensioners interacted with GWI’s Public Relations and Customer Service Departments, including Customer Service Manager, Jeanette Thomas, at the Association’s East Street office.
According to Secretary of the Association, Ms. Cybil Cort, “most pensioners have a fair understanding of the subsidy, but we felt it was necessary to educate them further on the actual amounts paid by the Government, as well as how the subsidy is applied by GWI.”
The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by GWI Customer Service Manager, Jeanette Thomas on the facts surrounding the subsidy.  As the manager of GWI’s Call Centre, Thomas noted the numerous queries from pensioners about their water service. “This meeting was absolutely necessary since we receive a significant amount of calls from pensioners querying their water service.”
Thomas further stated that some persons are not aware that the subsidy is only granted if the GWI customer is in receipt of Old Age Pension from the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
“We also have pensioners who believe that they do not have to pay for water,” stated Thomas. “We utilized the meeting to emphasize the fact that it is a “subsidy” not a “waiver” for water service, as such, after the Government’s subsidy is applied to the pensioner’s account, any consumption charges above the amount granted by the Government must be paid by the pensioner.”
GWI’s PRO Timothy Austin also said that while the company has embarked on several mass media messages to educate pensioners about the subsidy, there are still many misconceptions.
“Meeting with the Association, we hope to erase all misunderstandings surrounding the subsidy,” stated Austin.
“We also encouraged pensioners and their families to conserve on water consumption and avoid paying charges which extend beyond the subsidy granted.
The PRO indicated that other initiatives to educate and resolve the concerns of pensioners have been planned as part of the company’s “Community Connect” Outreach Programme for 2011.

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