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The Alliance for Change (AFC) in a blistering critique of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government’s management of the electricity sector, noted that after more than three years of in office the administration is still attempting to project failure of the electricity portfolio onto the opposition, the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government. But the AFC is not having it.
Lambasting the government for its dereliction of duty to make the necessary investments to build on what the coalition government left, the AFC said by not doing anything, government has allowed the generating capacity, built between 2015 and 2020 to deteriorate, forcing the country into an ominous cycle of load-shedding (blackouts).
The PPP has had three years of oil revenue funding to fix the generating capacity of GPL and had proposed the use of the windfall from oil resources wisely to alleviate the unnecessary burden and support the good life of the Guyanese people, the AFC charged. “Clearly, this has fallen on deaf ears.”
“We also warned against gutting the human resource capacity and competence of the leadership and technical teams at GPL, the AFC pointed out.” Going further, the AFC stated the warning was ignored but the government has used its policy of victimisation to cleanse GPL and other state agencies of proper leadership. “This has resulted in the GPL’s failure to follow industry best practices resulting in the sector falling behind.”
The AFC reminded the nation that “Lest we forget, when [the APNU+AFC] took power, there were no plans at GPL regarding expanding our electricity sector, and it was on the verge of collapse. The coalition administration spent the next five (5) years systematically rebuilding and improving the power sector with clear, workable, and proven standards to increase capacity and resilience.”
Accounting for its period in government (May 2015-August 1, 2020), the AFC stated the coalition is proud of its achievements “that over five short years, the coalition administration was responsible for nine (9) new generating sets, totalling 63MW, which were purchased and installed – (1) Anna Regina – 5.4MW; (2) Bartica – 3.4MW; (3) Bellevue – 1.5MW; (4) Cane field – 5.5MW; and (5) Garden of Eden – 46.5MW.
“In 2015, GPL’s generating capacity was listed at 120 – 125MW; however, by 2020, the APNU+AFC administration increased it by 50%.
“In addition to installing more generators in communities across the country, GPL reduced its technical and commercial line losses by 5%, which resulted in annual savings of G$450M.
“Under APNU+AFC between 2015-2020, GPL provided power to 60 previously unserved areas, benefiting 26,286 residents, and in the process, terminated the PPP’s policy of having customers pay 25% of installation costs.”
The current electricity problem is that of the PPP government the AFC said, and the PPP must take responsibility and fix the problem facing the sector.
