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GPL losing skilled workers to oil sector as system losses exceed target — PUC Report
(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is haemorrhaging skilled workers to the oil and gas sector at an accelerating rate, and the drain is taking a measurable toll on the company’s operational performance, according to the 2025 Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Annual Report.
The report reveals that GPL recorded system losses of 25.43 percent in 2025 — three percentage points above its target of 22.43 percent and a step back from the 24.71 percent recorded in 2024. The reversal is significant: after years of steady improvement from loss levels that once exceeded 30 percent, progress appears to have stalled.
GPL attributed the underperformance in part to the ongoing loss of trained personnel to the more lucrative oil and gas industry, as well as the diversion of its existing workforce toward a prepaid meter upgrade programme. The company also cited electricity theft, street lighting inefficiencies, metering inaccuracies, and network losses as contributing factors.
“The 2025 performance suggested that existing measures may not have been sufficient to achieve the required reductions,” the report stated, calling for stronger revenue protection, improved metering systems, and upgraded network infrastructure. It also flagged the need for more consistent enforcement and monitoring to address persistent loss areas.
Faced with a skills shortage that shows no signs of easing, GPL has moved to build a more sustainable talent pipeline. In May, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education, linking GPL’s accelerated Technician Training Programme to four technical institutes: the Government Technical Institute, the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, the Essequibo Technical Institute, and the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre.
The agreement is designed to align institutional curricula with industry requirements, giving students competency-based training, practical exposure, and a direct pathway to employment in the power sector upon completion.
Kesh Nandlall, Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, described the timing as critical. “The initiative comes at a critical time as GPL continues to embark on several major infrastructure projects that will require additional skilled personnel to support the company’s expanding infrastructure and operations,” he said.
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag welcomed the partnership as a meaningful opportunity for students nationwide, saying it would expand access to technical training and open new career pathways.
While the MOU represents a proactive step, the 2025 system loss figures make clear that GPL faces a compounding challenge — one where workforce attrition, ageing infrastructure, and commercial losses intersect. The PUC’s message is unambiguous: incremental measures are no longer sufficient, and more targeted, sustained action will be needed to bring GPL’s performance in line with its own targets and international norms.
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