The meeting was convened upon the request of President Bharrat Jagdeo, who visited the region last week Wednesday. While on that visit, the President was besieged by staff of the coop to look into its functioning with regard to their working conditions.

During his first and separate meeting with the Committee of Management of the co-op, the Prime Minister received an overview of the operations at the organization. Secretary of the co-op, Courtney Handy pointed out that some $4.4M is accrued monthly by the organization, our of which $2.2M accounts for the payment of wages and salaries.

In addition, the co-op is indebted to the Linden Mining Enterprise (LINMINE), in the amount of the $40M for the provision of electricity, which is supplied to Lindeners who are members of the co-op society.

Handy also related that the Linden Town Council owes the co-op $27M for the supply of electricity to Wismar and Christianburg with an additional sum outstanding for McKenzie. The Prime Minister was informed too, that the Guyana Water Incorporated is in arrears to the tune of $3.5M, placing a further strain on the financial resources of the utility.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Hinds told the Committee of Management, “We do have to face up to the issues of the sustainability of the co-op”. He called on the committee members present at the meeting to look closely at the electricity tariff collection as a means of managing their resources.

A major issue that surfaced at today’s meeting was the discontinuance of electricity supply to Ituni which was formerly done on a contractual basis between the co-op and residents of Ituni who are members of the co-op.

One resident highlighted that the contract was not renegotiated since its expiration late last year, and as a result, several electrical apparatus, including cables essential for electricity to be fed to that part f the region, were removed by the co-op.

In light of this, the Prime Minister urged the two sides, along with the Regional Administration, the legal custodian for the Ituni co-op agreement, to seek an early resolution to the differences. A meeting is set to come off next Friday.

Meanwhile, at his second meeting with staff of the society, Mr. Hinds was attentive to several concerns raised by the workers. These ranged from the call for increased wages and salaries to the personal payment for tools. Workers charged that their pay is meager while the Committee of Management receives a substantial stipend and “luxurious retreats”.

Addressing both the Management Committee and workers at this closing, the Prime Minister said, “We will always have differences, but we have to work these out within the confines of the resources we have, the money and people”.

He expressed understanding over the workers’ request for increased wages and urged both sides to work towards improved working relations.

He assured workers of this intervention into their unionized, the outcome of which will be relayed to the President.

While in Linden, the Prime Minister also inspected drainage works being carried out along Water Lilly Street, known as Poker Street, Wismar. The desilting exercise will facilitate improved drainage in the community.

Mr. Hinds made other stops at the Wismar/Christianburg Health Centre and he inspected the Bucktown to Wisroc road project, where a total of seven miles of roadway will be surfaced.

The road project now requires an estimated $225M to be completed, according to Technical Adviser within the Works Ministry, Mr. Walter Willis. However, with Omai’s donation of $140M worth of stone, this substantially reduces the financial needs of the project, since Government committed $50M last month.

With $90M now needed, Willis explained that Government has earmarked $5M for the procurement of a special sand and cement mixture to determine its effectiveness for the road-surfacing project.