Mohamed, in a recorded address following the latest major outage, said blackouts have become a routine part of life for Guyanese, despite decades of promises by successive governments to fix the country’s electricity problems.
“This massive blackout, as different parts of the country are plunged into darkness. It’s not new to Guyanese. GPL issues these notices sometimes several times in a day, as different parts of the country are plunged into darkness. This has become the reality of life in Guyana.”
He questioned why the problem persists in an oil-producing country now recording unprecedented revenues.
“Guyana is no longer the poor country it once was. Guyana is earning trillions of dollars from its oil resources. When billions were not enough, the PPP moved into the trillions.”
Mohamed pointed to the 2026 national budget of $1.558 trillion and questioned what taxpayers have received for the billions allocated to the energy sector.
“So where is the money going? What exactly have taxpayers received for all of this expenditure? How many more billions must be spent before Guyanese can receive the basic service of reliable electricity?”
The criticism comes amid a recent series of outages. GPL has attributed recent disruptions largely to rising demand and pressure on its distribution network, saying peak demand has climbed substantially as households and businesses increasingly use air-conditioning and other appliances.
The Public Utilities Commission also reported earlier this year that GPL failed to meet six of eight required service standards for 2025, including standards relating to customer interruptions.
Mohamed questioned the government’s repeated reliance on temporary and expensive measures to maintain supply.
“The government has rented power ship after power ship. It has brought in generators. It has hired foreign consultants from the Dominican Republic for 650,000 U.S. dollars per month. It has signed multi-million-dollar contracts and announced billions of dollars in investments in the electricity system. Yet we get blackouts almost daily.”
The US$650,000 monthly consultancy arrangement with Dominican Republic-based InterEnergy was reported in 2025, with government officials saying the company was being engaged to provide supervision and technical support for infrastructure development.
Mohamed said the consequences are being borne by ordinary citizens and businesses, including restaurants, supermarkets, manufacturers, vendors and small enterprises.
He also highlighted damage from unstable electricity supplies and the risks posed to hospitals and patients dependent on refrigerated medication.
“Healthcare professionals should never have to scramble in the middle of medical procedures because the electricity supply is unstable. Patients are at risk because the hospitals do not have a stable power supply.”
Mohamed ridiculed GPL’s appeals for customers to conserve electricity during periods of high demand.
“The only excuse from GPL is load shedding. Imagine that. A country with the fastest growing economy is telling its citizens to conserve on electricity, dictate when you can use your fans or AC, when to turn on or off your lights, while they have mansions with backup generators, splurging taxpayers’ money to their leisure.”
He also questioned the message being sent to investors and visitors when travellers arriving at Cheddi Jagan International Airport encounter power outages.
The Opposition Leader directed particular criticism at GPL’s management, naming Kesh Nandlall, head of the company’s Executive Management Committee.
“Kish Nandlall, the brother of Attorney General Anil Nandlall, is the head of GPL’s management, an absolute failure.”
GPL officially identifies Kesh Nandlall as Team Leader of its Executive Management Committee.
Mohamed also recalled President Irfaan Ali’s December 2024 declaration that “heads will roll” at GPL, dismissing it as a “Big bluff!”
The Opposition Leader further attacked the government’s long-delayed Gas-to-Energy project, which is designed to ultimately provide 300 megawatts of electricity.
Government officials currently say the first 57-megawatt gas turbine is expected to be fired and tested in December, with the remaining turbines coming online subsequently. The full project is designed to deliver 300 megawatts.
Mohamed said the delays have undermined promises made to Guyanese.
“The PPP promised to cut the electricity bill in half. We are still waiting because while we are not receiving stable electricity, the electricity bill is still very high.”
He ended by warning that GPL’s financial position is also becoming a major concern.
“At this point, I am sad. GPL is tens of billions in debt. It looks like when the PPP has to hand over this country in 2031, this country is going to be full of debt.”
The latest blackout has therefore renewed a fundamental question at the heart of Guyana’s energy debate: with oil revenues soaring and billions committed to electricity infrastructure, when will Guyanese finally receive the reliable power supply they have been promised?
