APNU urges government to scrap “ill-conceived” decision to turn GWI into bottled water company

Aug 08, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is calling on the Government of Guyana to abandon what it describes as an “ill-conceived” decision to transform the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) into a bottled water distributor.

Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference on Friday, Member of Parliament Saiku Andrews said APNU strongly condemns the move, calling it another announcement from a government that has lost sight of its priorities.

Andrews noted that GWI was established to provide citizens with water that is safe, reliable, affordable and potable, yet thousands of Guyanese countrywide continue to experience low water pressure, frequent service interruptions, aging infrastructure and discoloured water. He attributed these shortcomings to what he called the Peoples Progressive Party Civic’s (PPP/C) incompetence and a lack of vision, recalling that Guyana once produced its own alum to purify water before the current administration discontinued local production in favour of imports. He argued that the shift toward bottled water signals the government’s retreat from its responsibility to guarantee potable water as a basic right.

Rather than investing in a commercial bottled water venture outside GWI’s core mandate, Andrews said the government’s priority should be addressing the utility’s existing deficiencies. He described the initiative as another avenue for corruption and cronyism, arguing that funds earmarked for bottled water export expertise should instead go toward modernising water infrastructure — replacing deteriorating transmission mains, expanding treatment capacity, reducing non-revenue water, improving customer service, and ensuring reliable access to clean drinking water for every household.

“Who then is this Government working for? This proposal also demonstrates a troubling misunderstanding of the proper role of the State,” Andrews said, arguing that rather than strengthening public services and enabling private businesses to thrive, the PPP/C is increasingly positioning itself as a direct participant in commercial activity — a move he warned could ultimately raise costs for consumers who expect affordable water from GWI.

Andrews pointed out that bottled water production is already a private-sector industry, and argued government should focus on creating conditions for local manufacturers, distributors and exporters to grow rather than competing with them. He said a responsible administration would instead work to lower the cost of doing business, improve infrastructure, expand access to reliable utilities and encourage private investment.

“Manufacturers across Guyana continue to struggle with unreliable electricity, high operating costs, logistical challenges, and rising production expenses. Those are the obstacles the Government should be addressing if it genuinely wants Guyanese businesses to compete successfully in regional and international markets,” he said, adding that the administration’s handling of major state enterprises offers little confidence it can competently run another commercial venture.

Also on Friday, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar said in a statement via his ministry’s Facebook page that he had met with representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and stakeholders in Guyana’s bottled water industry. The meeting, held alongside Parliamentary Secretary Thandi R. McAllister, included PSC Chairman Captain Gerald Gouveia Jr., PSC Vice-Chairwoman and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Kathy Smith, representatives of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana (WCCIG), the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), and local manufacturers including Banks DIH, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and Aquafina.

Addressing concerns raised by stakeholders, Indar assured the private sector that the government’s initiative is not intended to compete with existing businesses. “We are not producing water to compete with you,” he told the meeting.

Kaieteur News reported on August 2 that the National Assembly had approved $496.3 million to establish Guyana’s first state-owned water bottling plant, advancing President Irfaan Ali’s push for the country to achieve 100 percent locally produced bottled water. The funds, allocated under GWI’s coastal water supply services budget, will finance a facility intended to reduce Guyana’s reliance on imported bottled water.

Announcing the approval, Indar described the plant as a strategic national project that would enhance the country’s economic resilience, self-sufficiency and long-term water security. He said that despite Guyana’s abundant freshwater resources and GWI’s extensive treatment and distribution network, the country has continued to depend heavily on imports — a gap he believes a GWI-operated plant could close while lowering consumer prices. Producing locally, he explained, would eliminate costs tied to international freight, marine insurance, import handling fees and distributor markups.

The push for local production dates back to February, when President Ali, during the commissioning of a water treatment plant at Five Miles, Bartica, in Region Seven, gave the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation a 12-month deadline to end reliance on imported bottled water. “You can’t be such a resource rich country in fresh water and be importing bottled water,” Ali said at the time, calling on the ministry to collaborate with the private sector on a shared production model — including a single, centralised facility to produce standard-size plastic bottles for the industry — to achieve economies of scale. Ali said GWI officials had assured him the utility could bottle water economically enough to sell it for $100 or less.

Days later, on August 5, Kaieteur News reported that the GMSA had mounted a strong challenge to the government’s investment in the plant, warning that it could crush private investment and put the state in direct competition with manufacturers that have spent years building the industry. The association, which met separately with Minister Indar and GWI leadership, said it welcomed the government’s vision of achieving 100 percent locally produced bottled water as a strategic opportunity to strengthen local manufacturing, create jobs and boost economic resilience — but stressed that any state initiative should complement, not undermine, existing private investment.

“Several GMSA members have invested capital, built distribution networks, and created jobs in this space over many years. Any initiative by the state should be structured to strengthen, not to compete with or undermine, that existing private investment,” the association said.

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• bottled water, GWI, high operating costs, unreliable electricity

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