Dear Editor,
Our youths we are told are our most precious assets and everything must be done to protect them from the ills of society so that they can grow up to become the leaders of tomorrow. With the general breakdown of moral values in Guyana that is becoming harder to achieve every day despite the genuine effort of several churches, NGO’s and social organizations.
Many organizations do not function in our country due to the huge cost of just keeping their heads above the water and their inability to gather the necessary funds to carry out their mandates.
Our club over the last five years has been paying the Guyana Power and Light Company the electricity bill under their commercial/business rates. This is totally unfair as our club is a non-profit organization with all our activities directed towards youths, the elderly and less fortunate totally free of cost to every person we serve. No activity in our office attracts any payment and even membership of the club is free.
Our electricity bill is a huge drain on our finances and has the potential to affect us down the road. In the past we had written to the relevant authorities to change our account from commercial to residential but there was no positive response.
One is left to wonder how can a non-profit organization whose only aim is to assist the less fortunate and youths be described as a ‘Commercial’ entity.
Our bill carries a monthly fixed charge of $2,258 instead of the $339 charge for residential rates while we are charged $60.71 per KWH instead of the residential $49.34.
We are quite certain that other NGOs face this same problem and with the recent increases in other items, one is left to wonder if most of them would not be forced to close their doors.
The management of the GPL and the relevant government ministry needs to revisit this situation as it is having a negative effect on NGOs.
Yours faithfully,
Hilbert Foster
Secretary/CEO
Rose Hall Town
Youth and Sports Club
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Guyana Power and Light for any comments they may wish to make.
