— Dr. Luncheon says residents consume two to three times more electricity than rest of country
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Roger Luncheon, has categorically rejected the notion that Linden is a depressed community, which is being used to argue against the implementation of electricity tariffs for the mining town, scheduled to be implemented on July 1 next.
Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference, yesterday at the Office of the President, he rhetorically asked how Linden could be described as a depressed community when its residents were consuming two to three times more electricity than the average consumer elsewhere in the country.
He also noted that the consumption index of electricity is one of the main yardsticks in measuring standard of living.
Recalling the long period of subsidised electricity which Lindeners enjoyed, Dr Luncheon noted that some $3 billion were expended on subsidies for electricity. Were this money invested in the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), it would have resulted in a reduction of electricity bills by about 10% for all consumers.
The HPS also noted that the issue has to be viewed in relative terms, as there are many other communities across the country that are worse off than Linden, but they are not categorised as depressed communities.
He said Lindeners’ response to the increased tariff has, not unexpectedly, been negative. He accused the political opposition parties, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), of using the issue for politicking and behaving as if cheap power for Linden was ordained.
Dr Luncheon disclosed that, during the inter-party political dialogue (IPPD), the opposition parties had argued strongly for reducing inefficiencies in the electricity system, but had completely ignored the fact that Lindeners were consuming two to three times more electricity that the average consumer in other parts of the country. This he described as double standards on the part of the opposition parties.
The HPS said the opposition is adopting a policy of “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours” in relation to the increased tariff, and were holding onto the notion that they have to do something for their constituencies, denying the reality of the situation.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is maintaining that an increased electricity tariff for Linden, as proposed by the government to take effect from July 1, will cause an additional burden on Region 10 residents.
Speaking at that party’s press conference on Tuesday, Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon declared APNU as holding firm to its position that the increased tariff represents an additional burden that Region 10 residents could not afford to bear.
APNU says that any increase in tariff has to be done in accordance with Guyana’s Constitution.
The party alliance expressed the view that government’s move to raise the tariff is vindictive, and does not take into consideration the economic reality of the people.