THE Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has “practically undertaken” a decrease of electricity charges, given the falling fuel prices and a request for a reduction in tariff by President Donald Ramotar, last week.This disclosure was made yesterday by Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, who said “the company has practically undertaken to have the electricity charges for consumers, across the board, to (be) adjusted downward.”

Luncheon said he was advised that GPL is “favourably disposed” to heed President Ramotar’s request for consideration of a decrease in electricity charges.
When asked about the value of the reduction, Dr. Luncheon said this has not been communicated to him as yet.
However, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat assured that a definitive announcement on the matter will be made soon.
The Guyana Government’s much lauded decision last week to significantly reduce fuel prices on the local market, amid reduced fuel prices globally, has resulted in appreciable benefits to consumers.
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, last Tuesday, announced significant reductions in local fuel prices as follows: gas price was reduced from $995 per gallon to $695, representing a 30 per cent reduction; diesel price was reduced by 30 per cent, from $985 to $694; and kerosene saw a reduction of 42 per cent, from $850 to $496.

Consequently, there have been queries as to whether the electricity costs borne by customers will also benefit from the falling fuel prices.
As such, President Donald Ramotar, in an invited comment to this newspaper, disclosed that he has asked GPL to examine the possibility of reducing electricity rates to customers.
The President had told the Chronicle that GPL has promised to explore all the options, in light of the reduction of fuel prices, whereby electricity consumers can benefit from lower electricity rates.

“The company has practically undertaken to have the electricity charges for consumers, across the board, (be) adjusted downward.” – HPS, Dr. Roger Luncheon

GPL MAKING ADVANCES
GPL, over the last few years, has been making significant advances in its operations.
Guyana now boasts a modern integrated electricity grid, linking Berbice and Demerara, since the final component of the new system, the Guyana Power and Light’s Georgetown sub-station, Ruimveldt, was commissioned last December.

Completed under GPL’s US$38.9M Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP), the new system is expected to facilitate and upgrade voltage stability and efficient electricity distribution. The IPD was funded by the Government of Guyana and in part by a concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of China.
However, Chairman of GPL’s Board of Directors, Winston Brassington, underscored the fact that the integrated electricity grid was not only done to meet international standards – in the interest of mitigating several challenges, including cost of electricity to Guyanese – but is also a pre-requisite for the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP), which is a project that is considered important by GPL.
AMAILA NEEDED
The hydropower project is touted to be able to provide Guyanese with a cheaper, reliable and sustainable electricity supply. It involves the construction of a hydropower plant in the area of West-Central Guyana, where the Amaila and Kuribrong Rivers meet. Electricity produced there would be delivered to Georgetown and Guyana’s second largest town, Linden.
The AFHP is anticipated to result in substantial savings to the nation’s coffers, particularly in terms of foreign exchange and the purchase of heavy fuel oil.
President Ramotar’s consistent position on developing hydropower is that economies must serve the people, not vice-versa, and with an expected saving of $9B in electricity subsidies, as well as savings on the $40B fuel bill, enormous contributions can be made to the infrastructural development, which is particularly needed in Guyana’s hinterland to aid and accelerate economic progress.
Mr. Ramotar has also stressed that, despite the disposition of the combined Opposition, the project is not dead. “We are very close to taking a decision on what direction to go to put Amaila back on stream,” the President has said.
Additionally, the potential benefits of a more stable and reliable source of energy through the advancement of hydroelectricity was also targeted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), last December, as an area for continued focus.
Guyana spent some $23B in fuel last year alone to ensure the provision of electricity to Guyanese. (Vanessa Narine)