THE Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL)  is facing the  dilemma of seeing its major projects now at an advanced stage having to be halted immediately as a direct result of the AFC and APNU decision to slash the power company’s  proposed subsidy by $5.2 billion, almost 50 per cent.

In this light, the power company is arguing that the decision by the political opposition to cut the allocations was made in total ignorance.
And Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharat Dindyal has observed that an “enormous amount of time, effort, sweat and tears,” went into major projects that are at an advanced stage but would immediately have to be halted should the cut not be reversed.”
Dindyal was speaking at a press conference on Monday at GPL’s office, Duke Street, Kingston, in the presence of Board Chairman, Winston Brassington and Deputy CEO, Aeshwar Deonarine.
“The main programmes which we are currently implementing…some of them are as far as 85 percent complete. Imagine at this stage they are saying sorry, you not going to receive any money to complete these facilities,” Dindyal remarked.
The media was shown photos of these projects on a projector.
Some US $32M has already been expended on the 26 megawatt power plant at Vreed-en-Hoop, while the foundation works are in progress and all of the equipment in Finland is waiting to be shipped to Guyana.
With regard to the frequency conversion in Kingston, GPL is spending US$7.2M to convert four 5 ½ megawatt machines and two of those machines have been converted already and the commissioning has already started. “Do we abandon these projects now?” Dindyal asked.
The CEO also pointed out that the transmission programme which was affected by the cut was on the cards since during the 1970s.
“Now 30-odd years later, we are almost there. We have most of the money, the contractor is here and the work is about to start. In fact, preliminary works have already been done, but we are told, ‘Sorry you can’t continue with it.’