Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Sunday announced the remote community of New Forest, East Canje, Region Six, will by July be getting electricity, for the first time, from the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL). This area is a stronghold of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). As Government continues to spend resources on infrastructures, public school teachers’ request to engage in collective bargaining to address better wages/salary and working conditions is being ignored.
Last week the government appealed Justice Sandil Kissoon’s ruling that upheld the constitutional right of the unionised teachers to collective bargaining. Government’s decision to appeal a ruling that favours the public school is seen as blow to unionsed workers who use the collective bargaining process to negotiate better renumeration packages. The teachers have made clear they do not begrudge anyone benefiting from the treasury but would also like their right to collective bargaining respected.
This year’s $1.146 National Budget is not only the largest in the nation’s history, but also larger that all previous budgets combined. Guyana is expected this year to earn at least US$2.8 Billion in oil and gas revenue. An estimated $949 million is pegged for infrastructural projects. Government is taking loans to fund much of these projects
Singh also told the community other infrastructure will be put in place in the area to facilitate electricity to the community, to the benefit of over 30 households.
Also, through a loan from the Indian Exim (Export-Import) Bank, Government has distributed household solar units. According to the government, renewable energy is a key aspect of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development agenda, and it intends to utilise access to low carbon development energy resources (Solar, Hydro, Wind, Biomass and Natural Gas) as a means of decoupling economic growth from using fossil fuels for electricity. “This will ensure that the rising demand is met, and greenhouse gas emissions are kept low.”
With Guyana’s economy growing there is need for electricity to cater for increasing demands of the country’s growing domestic, manufacturing and new industries.
Government recently signed a contract with UCC Holdings for a 22-year-old power ship to be deployed to Guyana. The power ship which Prime Minister Mark Phillips said “looks brand new” is docked at Everton, Berbice in Region Six. It is said to be generating its maximum capacity, adding 36 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid. The ship consists of two engines, each possessing 18 MW of power and arrived in Georgetown on May 1.
Government announced it is also working to advance the construction of the 300 MW Gas to Energy Project within the Wales Development Zone and revive the failed 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydro power project that had a price tag of US$840M, and other mini hydro projects in various areas. These and other alternative energy investments are expected to reduce Guyanese energy costs by 50 percent, reliably and adequately meet the energy demands of expanding economy and unlock the potential of the manufacturing sector.
Meanwhile Guyanese continue to suffer from daily power outages (blackout).
