The members of the company’s board are: Chairman, Mr. Mark Bender; Chief Executive Officer of PPDI, Mr. Arron Fraser; Secretary, Mr. Ronald Burch-Smith; Ms. Verlyn Klass; Mr. Stephen Fraser; Ms. Amanza Walton-Desir; Permanent Secretary of MPI, Mr. Geoffrey Vaughn; and Mr. Harryram Parmesar. The ninth member is currently uninstalled and this vacancy has been left for a member of the Parliamentary Opposition, who is yet to be appointed by the Opposition.
In his charge to the board members, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, expressed confidence in the PPDI and in its ability to maintain the high standards set by its predecessor in delivering a cost efficient service matching all key performance indicators. He added that PPDI was born from the need to drive efficiency and maximise the use of local capacity.
Minister Patterson also emphasised the significant cost-saving benefits: an estimated US$3.73 per MW or US$2.4M per year, based on a consumption of 650,000 MW. Besides cost, he also noted that capacity was a key consideration and he stressed that the company will continue to be manned by a 100 percent Guyanese workforce which has, over the years, demonstrated increased competency, such as the completion of challenging maintenance activities and major overhauls in significantly less time than Wartsila.
“Additionally, the retention of generated profits will facilitate the investment in people and new equipment as we prepare for future opportunities,” Minister Patterson said.
He concluded by wishing the board members well and urged them to transfer their skills and previous successes to the oversight of PPDI.
“To you, the members of the Board, you were carefully selected and assembled to oversee the operations of PPDI because you bring a wealth of diverse but relevant competencies and experiences necessary for its success,” he said. “Though diverse, your competencies and experiences provide an opportunity for excellent synergies, which only augers well for the future of PPDI.”
Similarly, Minister within the Ministry, Annette Ferguson, noted the wealth of experience and knowledge of the board members and urged them to use these qualities in regards to the Government’s vision of a green economy. “With your experience and ideas, I hope you will be able to enhance and meet the vision of the greening of Guyana by 2025.” She further thanked them for accepting their posts and wished them well.
In response, new Chairman, Mr. Bender, thanked the ministers on behalf of the board and indicated his pleasure in the company having gained the experience of Wartsila through its capacity. He also said that satisfactory electricity supply is a key component of development and pledged his commitment and dedication to his duty, while employing best practices, in service to the Government and the people of Guyana.
The newly installed board is expected to meet shortly to discuss significant plans and chart a course for PPDI’s success.
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