So the parliamentary Opposition has made good their threat to chop

a major social utility’s  budgetary allocation for 2013 – Guyana Power and Light’s subsidy of $10.2b, reduced by $5b. How does one rationalise such an incomprehensible act? This is one of the greatest follies, taking into consideration that GPL is in justifiable need of such funding.
If this is not an act of arbitrariness, then it is capricious. For in the  many arguments presented in the House, both the A Party For National Unity(APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have  not put forward a scintilla of any credible evidence against this important public utility.
Given the current plateau on which GPL currently stands, it needs no analyst to reiterate what such an unsubstantiated,  Opposition action now means for the institution’s operations, its thousands of consumers, and the nation’s socio-economic development.
One therefore can understand the open  disappointment of the Honourable Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, when he said: “I am perplexed by the actions of the Opposition parties…What are we to do now? I am open to suggestions,” when he faced the media.
Guyanese of an older generation should remember the years of darkness, as the GEC, as it was then known, plunged large sections of the nation into darkness on a daily basis. What commenced as load shedding for very short periods daily, gradually extended to total power failures for whole days and nights. It was a most uncomfortable period, as numerous households dumped foodstuff because of spoilage, and it was not uncommon for workers having to resort to “wash and wear”. There is not a single Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, who can deny such an experience as lived in this country.
Fast forward to the new millennium, into its second decade, and Guyanese can ever since breathe a great sigh of relief, because of a vastly improved power output that has virtually made daily power outages, non-existent. One will acknowledge, that there are still many challenges in the sector, but there is definite satisfaction that the PPP/C government has recognised the centrality of this sector to national development, and has invested billions of dollars in a programme aimed at supplying a reliable supply of power to the nation.
This  national programme, for which the Prime Minister  has special responsibilities, has  already resulted in the Kingston power plant receiving a US$20M retooling that has resulted in better efficiency and improved power output to consumers. There have also been upgrades to Versailles, the Garden of Eden, and Tain power stations.
It is no secret, that there were many areas, throughout Guyana’s regions that were without any supply of electricity as at 1992. But thanks to the PPP/C administration that implemented the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme. This initiative that was executed in two phases, beginning from approximately mid-2005 to ending of 2006, and continuing immediately after to 2009, resulted in 30,000 households now being  able to  access this vital social amenity.
There is also the Hinterland Electrification Programme, also directed by Prime Minister Hinds, that is piloting the electrification of Amerindian communities. This intervention has so far resulted in 11,000 solar energy panels distributed, adding to the constant improvement of hinterland livelihoods.
Thus, there can be no proper cause(s) for such a wanton measure as halving the energy sector’s allocation for 2013, since the entire nation is now  better  serviced, exponentially. Even industries, once threatened because of the unreliability of power supply, have lauded  GPL’s improvements.
It is rather difficult to fathom Carl Greenidge’s description of GPL as a “black hole”, when any fair-minded Guyanese should understand the severe problems the entity faces, due to its high fuel bill as a result of very high oil prices, the servicing of its  extended consumer base, and the perennial challenge of electricity theft. These are the reasons that warrant continuous  budgetary allocations to this pivotal state facility.
The nation’s homes must be kept lighted by GPL.