By Nicole Telford- The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has criticised the Government’s lack of planning to facilitate better electricity supply. Former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, in the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government reiterates the Government of Guyana’s ineptitude and incompetence.
In the statement GCCI expressed its profound disappointment with the continued state of power outages in Guyana noting that the continued power disruptions are having an acute impact on the productivity of enterprises. GCCI further stated that the electricity woes are cascading into general underperformance and continued loss of productive time, disruption to production and an overall hindrance to the smooth functioning of business. This state of affairs, the organisation claimed, will impede both growth and investment prospects country-wide.
While the GCCI seems to be losing confidence in the Government and Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) ability to manage the electricity supply countrywide, two former ministers of government, Simona Broomes and Annette Fergerson, along with APNU+AFC Chief Whip Christopher Jones MP, held a picketing exercise outside the GPL’s office on Main Street calling on the utility company to put its house in order. They are of the opinion that incompetent management is to be blamed for the frequent power outages being experienced by Guyanese consumers nation-wide.
Meanwhile, Patterson, who is now Shadow Minister of Public Works, pointed out to Village Voice News (VVN) that while government officials are seen constantly cutting ribbons celebrating the opening or expansion of businesses, they have failed to plan for the increased electricity demand as a result of the new businesses coming onto the power grid. The former minister noted that government ministers would wax lyrically about big business developing in Guyana, however, he is of the opinion that these government officials should have sensitised the government to the need for an immediate and urgent increase in power generation to supply consumers.
Responding to GCCC’s statement on the electricity situation Patterson told VVN the statement is a bit late but it is good to see “they’re moving in the right direction.” He also bemoaned persistent blackouts over the past three months but stated “it’s good to see them (GCCI) finally waking up” he said.
Looking to the future, the GCCI registered unwavering support for investments that it believes will create a sustainable energy mix for Guyana, listing the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Gas to Energy Project and Solar Farms as the future of Guyana’s energy supply. However, Patterson bel
“I think everyone on Facebook has seen that Amalia Falls water is completely dry, when I say bone-dry, I mean bone-dry and I would urge the members of GCCI to take time-out to read the technical reports on Amilia Falls rather than just simply repeat the government’s propaganda,” the parliamentarian pointed out. He was referring to a photograph of the bone-dry fall that was in circulation on social media.
Addressing the energy shortfall, the Ali government recently informed consumers it had purchased 17 container generating sets from Honduras. This, the government said, would add efficiency to the current power generation. But Patterson deferred with that view noting, “the second or third-hand sets the government has proposed…I presume they’re going to split them up all around the country but it is not like Legos, it will take two years to install the 17 container sets that they’re bringing in from Honduras into the national power grid.”
The parliamentarian said, “the Private Sector Commission hasn’t said much nor has the Manufacturing Association…And I reckon that they’re probably even equally hard-hit by this spate of blackouts. He noted, “it would be remiss of me not to mention and not be gleeful, nor boastful ‘we told them (the Government) so.’ I particularly told them if you don’t address it (increase electricity generation), you will run into this problem.”
“They were, of course, arrogant, as usual,” the former minister stated, and pointed out that he wrote the government before he left office in 2020, and during Parliamentary debates, he had questioned the government on the generation supply. “When it comes to deliverables the government is failing miserably; corruption is rife, the power supply is failing, the roads are bulging, water is life and they (government) have problems in the water sector with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).”
