THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has lauded Guyana Power and Light (GPL) for their efforts to provide 24-hour power supply to the residents of Leguan and Wakenaam in Essequibo.

This was according to PPP’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee yesterday at the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House.
Rohee said:“Our Party takes this opportunity to commend the management, the engineers and technicians who worked tirelessly to realise what was once deemed a dream of the residents of the two islands.”

‘Our Party urges GPL to remain steadfast to its expansion programme’ — Clement Rohee

He noted that the profound sense of relief and satisfaction demonstrated by the residents following the official commissioning by President Donald Ramotar is clearly understandable.
“It would be remiss if our Party did not note the sense of pride it feels at this latest achievement, given that just over two decades ago, these islands were without electricity.”
Additionally, despite the state of bankruptcy and the collapsed infrastructure inherited at that time, it was always a priority of our government to provide electricity to the residents of these two Islands, Rohee stated.
He further said that incremental developments, proportional to available financial resources, have allowed for the transition from limited supply over the years to the current situation of a 24-hour service.

EXPANSION PROJECTS
In general, over the past two decades, GPL has embarked on expansion projects to provide a reliable and continuous supply to all Guyanese.
Rohee added that, “Today, the power and light company has established many new plants and sub-stations in various parts of the country as part of its expansion.”
“This has become possible following the continuous growth of our economy which allowed for more financial resources being made available; over this same period. Guyana has and continues to experience unprecedented development resulting in Guyanese improving their living standards and enjoying a better quality of life.
“Today, these are routine necessities of ordinary Guyanese in their quest to improve on comfort and convenience for themselves and families,” said Rohee.

CHALLENGES FOR GPL
He added that Guyana’s exemplary housing development programme has not only realised the dream of owning a home for thousands of ordinary citizens, but has by its expansion, created new challenges for the power company.
According to Rohee “With a consumer base of over one hundred and forty thousand today compared to far less just two decades ago, is not only demonstrative of our nation’s development, but it exemplifies the challenges GPL would have, and continue to face over this period and into the future.”

Additionally, this coupled with a high percentage of loss through electricity theft, demonstrates how GPL’s mandate becomes even more challenging.
“It is in this context that our Party recognises and commends the efforts of GPL as it strives through its current expansion projects to realize a reliable supply of electricity to all.”
“At the same time, our Party remains conscious that given the challenges, GPL’s mandate to providing a holistic, reliable supply of electricity across our country, remains difficult, and this has unfortunately resulted in the periodic inconvenience to some citizens.”
In closing, Rohee stated that, “Our Party urges GPL to remain steadfast to its expansion programme and to implement mechanisms to mitigate the challenges being faced. Meanwhile we urge an aggressive redoubling of efforts, despite the difficulties to ensure a reliable supply in 2015.”

(By Navendra Seoraj)