I WRITE about no small matter.  (The headline in the Stabroek News – 2013-11-11), “No time-frame for 24-hour power supply to Mabaruma – Hinds”, has been read by everyone as a quote from me, which it is not;  and I fear that it propagates an altogether different message from what I did actually write.And, indeed, I would even argue that it is inaccurate.  And worse, Mr. Editor, I fear that, in your (SN) headline, the message that you represent wrongly as a quote from me is, “You all suppose to get 24-hour electricity, but Hinds say he got no plan to give you all 24-hour electricity.”

A truer headline would have been, “Twenty four-hour power supply to Mabaruma after discussions with residents – Hinds.”  I do have a time-frame in mind, and I have stated it, “after discussions with residents about sustainability.”  We have been working towards increased and improved electricity supply long before the questions were asked:  the supply in Mabaruma has been increased from four hours to six hours, each day;  the supply is being extended as funding becomes available for increased generation, and for  an upgraded and extended network.  A 24×7 supply of electricity does not come – indeed, there is nothing that comes – with the wave of a magic wand.  It would be good if we could consistently send the message, and assure our fellow citizens, that we Guyanese would have in time all that we would want – but we have to work for it with our hands and heads and hearts, individually and altogether.
There are no goods, no services, no rights, no entitlements, other than that which we work to produce and share with each other.  Production comes first, and there is a lot to learn by everyone.  We would learn a lot along the way as we do things.  The pace of growth and development would be related to our rate of learning many things, in everything that matters.  In this regard, we are establishing, one after another, small mini-utilities in various hinterland population centres.  We are looking to use poles provided by local people, using local woods.  It has not been easy and it has not been done before, and we are encountering all the learning issues in doing new things.  We are appointing the chair-person, and the majority of the board members, from amongst local persons, along with three more experienced persons, one each from the HEU, the GPL, and the parent company, NICIL.
Let us not exacerbate our development pains but, rather, help to make them easier!
HON. SAMUEL A. A. HINDS
Prime Minister