The traditional electrical inspectorate rate of $200 which was paid for inspection of a 2 or 3 bedroom house will now be pegged at $9300 after Cabinet gave its no objection for this move last week. Making this revelation yesterday was Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson at a press conference held at his Kingston office. According to the minister, these existing rates which were enforced through the electrical inspectorate department are over 25 years old. He explained that before a household can be awarded a place on a grid, it must first be awarded an electrical certificate.
The electric grid is a network of synchronised power providers and consumers that are connected by transmission and distribution lines and operated by one or more control centers. In Guyana, he said, for lower bedroom houses which are approximately 750sq ft. to achieve that electrical certificate, they would have had to be inspected and granted the certificate at the cost of GYD$91. This GYD$91 would have included the inspection of 12 lights and about 22 points within the house.
The electrical inspectorate department was the recipients of this money. However, he noted that with the “spurt” in building construction and the demand and tasking of the department, Cabinet thought it wise to approve an increase in fees. The increase for these starter homes will now be fixed at $3,900.
But for the average size 2 or 3 bedroom houses the rates will now be $9,300 as compared to $200 that the Ministry currently receives, Patterson said. In addition, he noted that, “all other rates have been increased and there will be a month moratorium to allow us to advertise and tell persons about this, after which it will be officially gazetted.”
Offering that, “anyone who would have built a house knows that the electricians who do the installation never charge you $91” and that there is a standard fee estimated at about GYD$10,000, Minister Patterson stated that no fraction of this money goes to the Government.
As such, he reasoned that with the increase in this fee, the Government will now be embarking on audits of existing building since they have discovered massive time-lap between when these inspector’s certificates would have been received and the change in usage overtime. This change, he revealed, has the potential to cost the country revenue when these monies can be channeled elsewhere. “So the whole idea is to boost the country’s electrical inspectorate department to ensure that the country receives its best value for money” Minister Patterson said.

By Ravin Singh