Latest update August 15th, 2026 10:49 AM
Aug 11, 2016 News
At a press conference held by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) yesterday, Chief Executive,
Dr. Richard Van-West Charles disclosed that the utility company has recovered some $1.8 Billion from outstanding debts since the change of its administration, 10 months ago.
Dr. Van-West Charles said that GWI has embarked on debt collection through “an intensive programme of disconnection”. He noted that the disconnection of defaulters coupled with the “discovery of people who are getting water by nefarious means” has largely contributed to the recovery of the billion-dollar sum.
He issued a warning to would-be defaulters and said “we want to say to those entities that are using water illegally that it is time you recognise that we have an aggressive programme going on.”
Speaking in the boardroom of GWI’s head office at Shelter Belt, Vlissengen Road, Van-West Charles also said that contractors hired by GWI who have been disconnecting and reconnecting defaulting customers are going to be blacklisted, and will never be contracted by GWI again.
The Chief Executive explained to the media that customers with outstanding bills now have an option of repaying the company through a contractual system. He continued that the customer can sign a contract with GWI to pay their outstanding debts through a series of instalments.
He further pointed out that GWI is reviewing the option of distributing bills on a monthly basis, as in some cases, customers have “runaway bills”, which results in late payment.
He continued that GWI is putting a system in place to have meters read in a timely manner, and reminded that persons have a 45-day grace period to pay their bills before a disconnection order is issued. Once a customer has been disconnected, he said, they will be required to pay a reconnection fee of $7000 and the outstanding balance on their bill.
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