Consumer advocate upset over cancelled PUC hearing
Stabroek News
November 26, 2003
Consumer advocate Eileen Cox is appalled at the lack of courtesy on the part of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in not informing the consumer group about the cancellation of a proposed public hearing at the Supreme Court Library yesterday.
A notice dated November 17, 2003 and signed by the PUC's acting Secretary, Jennifer Ganpatsingh was addressed to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. Chief Executive Officer and carbon copied to the consumer bodies. It sought to notify them of the commission's intention to call a hearing for November 25 to deal with miscellaneous charges added on to consumers' bills. The meeting never came off.
PUC Chairman, retired Justice of Appeal, Prem Persaud, told Stabroek News yesterday that the commission had rescheduled the hearing after GPL's lawyers had raised objections to the period of notice.
The commission is by statutory requirement expected to give two weeks notice to parties when calling hearings so as to allow them time to be adequately prepared.
When questioned as to why Cox had not been informed of the postponement, Persaud said the commission's secretary, Ganpatsingh was the one charged with that responsibility.
Cox told this newspaper that she had made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the PUC to verify whether the hearing was still on.
She was also not in favour of the hearing commencing at 2 pm as it was not convenient to members of the public and other interested groups who might be occupied then.
Cox said consumer bodies had for a long time been opposed to the imposition of miscellaneous charges on the bills of consumers.