CONTRARY to information emanating from the political Opposition, all documents pertaining to the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL’s) current and future plans have been presented to both  APNU and the AFC.

So said Executive Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Mr Zulficar Mustapha.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday  at the PPP/C’s Freedom House headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown, Mustapha said the party commends President Donald Ramotar for his decision to put on hold the GPL’s request for a 26.7 percent increase in tariffs, as it would place an unnecessary burden on the backs of 160,000 consumers, and would adversely impact the business community.
Even more worrying, Mustapha said, is the power company’s revelation that the $5.2B cut from the 2013 budget would postpone several GPL projects geared towards efficiency.
Mustapha said  the PPP remains hopeful that good sense would prevail and the parliamentary Opposition would signal its intention to restore the budget cuts.
Meanwhile, Government continues to insist that the GPL proposed tariff increase is due to budgetary cuts by the Opposition. An increase in tariffs, along with other possible outcomes, was fully and properly ventilated during the budget debate in the National Assembly; but the Opposition is now claiming otherwise, “unconvincingly, both to Cabinet and to major stakeholders,” Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon observed last Friday.
Speaking at his usual post-Cabinet press briefing at Office of the President, Dr Luncheon said GPL’s customers are understandably deeply concerned about the proposed increases, and the administration’s intention is to undo the budget cuts and mitigate their impact. “The urgency is obvious,” he acknowledged.
Civil society entities have also expressed deep concerns, and have sought audience with officials in the administration; and the authorities, in turn, are engaging the Opposition in seeking a quick resolution of this matter, Dr Luncheon mentioned.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds called on Guyanese, a few days ago, to view the tariff increase proposed as one that is coming after five years of no adjustment, during which time oil prices had risen by about 60 percent.
The cost of oil constitutes approximately 80 percent of the GPL’s operating expenses, and the utility company has been facing dire financial constraints over the past few years as a result of high technical and commercial losses, compounded by the Opposition slashing of $5.2 billion from the GPL subsidy during consideration of the 2013 national budget.
As such, the GPL has made the proposal to institute a 26.7 percent hike in its tariff, and has submitted same to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for approval.
At present, the average price per kilowatt hour is $63, but if the GPL proposal is approved, the new charge will be about $80 per kilowatt hour.