The so-called opposition
Kaieteur News
July 24, 2004
Most Guyanese are still to enjoy pure running water gushing at a decent pressure through their taps without the use of expensive electric pumps or overhead tanks. Very few homes in Guyana can boast about a high pressure of water flowing directly from the mains into the upper stories.
The delivery of effective public services in this country is still wanting, and especially when it comes to electricity and water, there is much work to be done. To put in mildly, consumers in Guyana are not getting the desired service for all the billions that have been pumped into our water distribution networks and electricity grid over the past ten or more years.
Consider the time and investment that is lost in the delivery of water throughout Guyana. In many areas, water pressure is so low that persons have to fetch water by bucket in order to take a bath. I had a friend who once nearly died from a heart attack when he accidentally turned on his shower and discovered water flowing through it. For so many years, the pressure was never sufficient to reach the second floor of his home and so on that day when this happened, my friend almost suffered a heart attack.
I do realise that there are hundreds of areas throughout Guyana that do not receive a supply of potable water. But there are also hundreds of areas that are provided with a water service but this service is far from satisfactory. In most cases, water is only available at certain times of the day and at a very low pressure.
Guyana wishes to develop its tourism product. But which international chain of hotels is going to be keen on coming here when factored into their investment will be the high cost of pressurizing the trickle that comes through the mains. Added to the problems with water pressure is the high and unstable supply of electricity. These two, combined, acts as a disincentive towards investment, and especially for the manufacturing sector, the high cost of energy has forced many businesses into self-generation.
No country hoping to move quickly along a high-growth path will succeed unless the cost of energy is low. And in Guyana, electricity is not only super-expensive relative to the income of consumers, but the grid is prone to breakdowns and instability.
A short while ago, the water utility in the country called on consumers to conserve and avoid wastage. But how can the vast majority of Guyanese conserve when they are not receiving an adequate supply of electricity. This is like asking the lower paid public servants to increase their savings. How will they do this when their salaries can hardly meet their basic needs?
Market forces have a way of inducing conservation. This is done through the price mechanism. So if we want to reduce waste we should price it out of the market. If consumers are required to pay economic rates for the supply of water consumed, they will be forced into not wasting water because for every gallon of water that they waste, they will have to pay for it.
Campaigns such as calling on citizens to turn off taps, seal leaking faucets and use water sparingly have never worked in Guyana because they appeal to civic suasion, instead of price incentives. But when people have to pay and pay market rates, they will live within their means. However, a consumer being charged economic rates for water will expect that he or she can discard the pressure pump and overhead tanks and receive water twenty-four-seven.
Guyanese must begin to understand that we must pay for public services. But the government and the utilities that supply these services must also ensure that their service is satisfactory. I believe that people should pay for the service they get but I also believe that a consumer must get a high pressure of water four floors up. And blackouts, unstable electricity and low water pressure should be things of the past.
Since the government has taken back the electricity corporation, there have not been any significant increases in tariffs. The electricity situation has improved in most areas. But what does this tell us? It certainly does not tell us whether the line losses have reduced, whether each paying consumer is subsiding another who is stealing electricity, whether the government is paying transfers to the electricity corporation or whether that entity is losing money each month.
It is all well and good for a so-called opposition - and this is what the PNCR must now be referred to as - to take potshots at the government. But is this opposition fulfilling its responsibility to the Guyanese people by staying out of parliament and failing to utilise the mechanisms that would allow it to exercise vigilant oversight over the government, and thereby defend the interests of its constituents?