In a recent press conference, Aubrey Norton, Leader of the Opposition, clarified the PNCR’s stance on maintaining subsidies for essential utilities. This clarification comes amid what the PNCR describes as deliberate misrepresentations by PPP-affiliated groups. Norton emphasised that a PNCR-led government would continue to subsidise the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to ensure electricity and water remain affordable, particularly for low-income households and vulnerable groups.
Norton addressed the issue at a press conference on 19th July 2024, where he responded to queries about the future of subsidies under a potential PNCR government. “While we will work over the long term to make GPL and GWI efficient and less of a burden on the national treasury, subsidies will be maintained in line with our long-stated position that electricity and water must be made free or affordable to low-income households and vulnerable groups,” Norton stated. He criticised attempts to suggest otherwise as efforts to undermine the PNCR’s popularity and its comprehensive social protection agenda.
Highlighting the PNCR’s consistent stance on the issue, Norton referenced a press conference from November 2022. He had stated then that “water and electricity services for low-income households should be subsidised by the government to ensure no household in need is denied these essentials.” Earlier this year, the PNCR also called for the national budget to include provisions for these subsidies, a call that was ignored by the current administration.
Norton criticised the PPP government’s handling of GPL, citing it as an example of mismanagement. He pointed to the recent decision to bring in an emergency power ship at a high cost, which he argued has only increased the need for subsidies to maintain current electricity tariffs. Additionally, he highlighted the US$27 million spent on 17 used generator sets of questionable functionality as further evidence of poor governance. “Blackouts have not ceased, and the power ship has become the butt of endless jokes, as hundreds of comments on GPL’s Facebook page can attest,” Norton said, stressing that effective management could reduce operating costs and improve services.
Looking forward, Norton reiterated the PNCR’s broader socio-economic vision. He promised that a PNCR-led government would ensure a livable income for all households by creating good-paying jobs and more small business opportunities. The party’s plans include implementing monthly childcare allowances, eliminating income taxes for low-to-medium income earners, providing rent assistance, free tertiary education with student stipends, two hot school meals a day, and significant salary and pension increases.
The PNCR’s commitment to subsidies is part of its wider strategy to protect vulnerable groups and support national development. Norton concluded by saying that while making GPL and GWI more efficient is crucial, maintaining subsidies is necessary to ensure no one is left without essential services. “We in the PNCR do not accept waste, mismanagement, incompetence, and corruption as norms in the country’s public affairs,” he asserted, vowing to bring about more effective governance.
The PNCR’s promise to maintain subsidies aligns with its broader policy of providing robust social protection from “womb to tomb.” This commitment is seen as integral to achieving the party’s vision of a more equitable and prosperous Guyana, where every citizen has access to the essentials needed for a decent quality of life.
