GPL, GWI cause growing concern
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
February 19, 2007
Householders and businessmen and all who subscribe to electricity from Guyana Power and Light (GPL), both in the capital city and its environs, are becoming increasingly concerned as the power supply becomes more and more unstable.
To make the situation worse, the company’s so-called emergency communication service is no longer reliable.
Almost on a daily basis, power is cut off without warning, and efforts to find out what is happening are frustrated as no one answers the emergency.
Call those emergency numbers listed on the first pages, and more often that not, a recorded message tells you that the person you want is not available, and “ We’re exiting the system”.
This is indeed frustrating, as many persons have things to do that necessitate the use of power, and when the blackout comes, they have no way of knowing when the lights will go on again.
As for the power outage schedule published in the media, that is a complete waste of time, as it does not take in the random outages anytime, any day of the week, and anywhere in the areas served by GPL.
GPL is obliged to ensure its customers not only a reliable supply of power, but also to put in place a reliable system to provide information about resumption of the power supply when this is interrupted. That is the least the company should do.
There are also in place several GPL operational systems that serve to make consumers quite uncomfortable.
The habit of “estimating” power units used on meters is at times a nightmare for consumers, especially those who consume less than 100 units per month.
Also, on many occasions, bills are delivered to consumers stating that they must be paid at a date earlier than the day of delivery.
The constant blackouts over the past few weeks is a grim reminder of the dark days of some decades ago.
The public is of the distinct impression that we are reverting to those dark, dismal days of the eighties and nineties, and that no one seems to care about the deteriorating situation.
The recent termination of the management contract at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is another example of what can happen when management systems cannot stand up to their obligations.
Of course GWI offers a service every bit as crucial to our well-being as that offered by GPL, and to be saddled by unsatisfactory performances from both entities is indeed troubling.
Consumers of water have been experiencing many irritants, and we are led to believe that the GWI hotlines are just about as ineffective as those of GPL.
There is some relief in the fact that the administration has decided to improve management performance at GWI.
We have learnt by now that complacency and inertia have no place in management, especially in connection with essential services.
Entities providing essential services must be always on the ball, or else…..