President orders delay in light bill increase

DonaldGeorgetown : President Donald Ramotar has ordered a delay in the proposed 26.7 percent tariff hike the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is planning to implement.

The instruction was given after the President met with the Board and management of the power company for talks amidst concerns about the implications of the subsidy that was denied by way of majority vote by the political opposition.

President Ramotar who made the announcement at the launch of GuyExpo 2013 in the lobby of the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) last evening, said restoration of the government’s subsidy to the power company must be expeditious.

“We are ready to take it back to parliament tomorrow once we are assured that we will have the support to get it passed so that we can minimise any increase of rates that GPL will be forced to implement,” President Ramotar said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the power company Bharrat Dindyal who had only Thursday met with the President in the company of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), had  pointed to the number of locations across the country where the construction of sub-stations are evident, but has reached a standstill.

He had argued that the 26.7 percent tariff hike which he is aware would bring significant impact on consumers is the only alternative to garner the funds needed to complete them and improve efficiency and service quality, and address technical and commercial losses.