Private Sector blasts inefficient GPL

Nov 11, 2017 News

– Says power company lacks capacity to deliver reliable supply, manage electricity sector

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has come out with guns blazing against the state-owned

PSC’s Chairman, Edward Boyer

Guyana Power & Light Inc. (GPL) over the erratic supply in recent months.
According to PSC, the majority of citizens are not blessed with private generators to provide alternative power to save the food they have stored in freezers and refrigerators.
“Judging from this performance or, to be more accurate, absence of performance, GPL simply has neither the management nor the capacity to deliver a reliable power supply to the country and the government has consistently failed to address this reality.”
The PSC, which represents a cross-section of powerful businesses including banks, telephone companies and the soft drink manufacturers, made it clear that the country’s commercial sectors cannot function in these circumstances and “in this day and age at the exorbitant price that we are expected to pay for electricity, Guyana’s population should not be subjected to this punishment.”
The commission said that as the Christmas season approaches, this has now become an even more pressing source of concern for the populace.
According to PSC, GPL is owned and operated by the government and enjoys a complete monopoly in providing the country’s power supply. However, within recent months, the company has “subjected” the entire country to a series of unannounced and frequently prolonged power outages.
“There has been no credible explanation from the company’s management or board for these failures

GPL’s Chairman,
Robert Badal

and none from the responsible minister. To add insult to injury, the GPL recently from 2nd September to 5th November, 2017, announced a series of scheduled maintenance power cuts which, in Georgetown alone, amount to a total of 149 hours spread between 17 sections of the city.”
PSC gave figures.
“Power cuts averaging about five hours each were scheduled for the Essequibo Coast, Berbice, East and West Bank Demerara, West Coast Demerara, Soesdyke and East Canje. Needless to say, the majority of our citizens do not scan the newspapers everyday to see for when there is going to be a scheduled power cut and, as a result, are taken by surprise when the power goes out.”
PSC also made a case for the US$1B Amaila Falls hydro project. That project was halted by an Opposition-controlled National Assembly a few years ago. That Opposition has now formed the Coalition Government.
“It is nothing short of a tragedy that a country with such immense hydro electric potential resources should be made to tolerate this situation. The previous government, with support of the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and CDB (Caribbean Development Bank) and funding from Norway, negotiated a major American power company to build and operate the Amaila Falls Project. Our current government has put the project in cold storage while offering no acceptable alternative. So where do we go from here?”

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News