Over the past few months, residents in Port Kaituma, Region 1, have been experiencing challenges with regard to the supply of electricity. As a result, several ministerial visits were made to the region to resolve the situation.

On Tuesday last, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds travelled to Region 1 where he installed a 10-member board to the utility, with the aim of ensuring the effective management of the entity and delivery of service.
The board members include Punaram Chandaban, PU-NICIL; Bernice Nichols, Guyana Power and Light Inc.; and Horace Williams from the Hinterland Electrification Programme. The trio is expected to work with the other board members to ensure there are no errors in the operations of the utility.
The other members are Chairman of the Board Marlon Pierre, Johnny Mendonca, Margaret Lambert, Neville LaRose, Kevin Charles and Sheila Mendonca, all residents of the area.
PM Hinds indicated that the list of names was recommended by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and was presented and approved by Cabinet. He emphasised that standard reporting systems should be put in place.
Currently, Port Kaituma is receiving 23 hours of power generation and Prime Minister Hinds explained that in the future, it is hoped that with small utility services like those in Port Kaituma, Mahdia and Orealla/Siparuta can be integrated into the larger generating system.
While in discussion with staff of the power company and the community, PM Hinds informed them that government is looking at improving and sustaining its developmental efforts, however, people must also be willing to develop themselves.
With regard to electricity development, PM Hinds outlined that from the onset, GPL was not the way it is, as work was done to improve its generation output and has resulted in the addition of 165,000 households on the network.
He noted that government was aware that some of the people who wanted electricity could not afford the initial cost to get the service, and in response, the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme was introduced through a loan from Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). An additional 70,000 households were added to the programme through this initiative.
However, the broader view of the government was to broaden the service and this then resulted in the Hinterland Electrification Programme, through which Amerindian villages are provided with solar systems. (GINA)