After almost six hours of debate in the National Assem-bly, the government benches last evening voted against a motion for a parliamentary committee to investigate the services of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).
However, a PPP/C member of the Economic Services Committee of Parliament said that examination of utilities is a priority on its work programme even without the motion.
The motion, with accompanying amendments, was moved by Alliance For Change member Raphael Trotman and sought to have the Sectoral Standing Com-mittee on Economic Services report to the National Assem-bly within three months and thereafter for the National Assembly to communicate its findings and recommendations to the management of GPL and the Government of Guyana for their adopting and implementation.
Lead speaker on the Government’s side, Prime Minister Sam Hinds said that the Government was not prepared to support the motion, since there was no need for a public dissection of the entity. He said that such an inquiry would derail the progress already being made by the entity. He said that the managers of the company didn’t need to have politicians second guessing them.
The Prime Minister said that the corporation was being managed better than ever before but acknowledged that there was much scope for improvement.
“There is no need for the motion. We wouldn’t support it because much is wrong with the premise and thrust of it,” said the Prime Minister.
Hinds reminded the National Assembly of the days of the Guyana Electricity Corporation when there were frequent 12-hour power outages during the day and when the lights returned, the collective shouts of celebration that ensued, especially in the countryside, “Lights!”
Expressing his disappointment with the sentiments of the Government speakers, all of whom voiced their disapproval of the motion, Trotman said that the arguments used were less than what he expected.
Speaking on the motion earlier, Trotman said that GPL was a special case. He said that he was prompted by the many negative reports in the press about the utility and he also received reports by individuals, who complained bitterly about what they encountered with the entity.
He explained that the motion wasn’t meant to castigate the management of GPL but to come up with recommendations that were seen as acceptable. “We believe that the interface with consumers is the most important aspect of GPL’s functioning,” he said. “We have ways of reducing the burden to consumers,” he said, adding that the proposed new prepaid metering system may be the answer.
Minister of Hydraulics Robeson Benn disagreed with the thrust and premise of the motion, and felt that the matter shouldn’t be proceeded with in such a manner. According to the Minister, there is a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and this is the agency to look into the workings of the utility. “Why would one want to usurp the PUC?” he asked.
He said that regarding the complaints, in nine out of ten times, the utility is justified in its actions. “Generally we are on track with making im-provements at GPL,” he said.
He said that with the support of Government there were significant improvements at GPL. Benn said too that Guyana was not special in its electricity woes. He noted that the conservation message was getting out and that GPL should be commended for this initiative. He said that the management of GPL needs to be given enough time and space to manage a number of steps effectively. Benn said that the overall supply of power has improved over the years.
PNCR-1G member Anthony Vieira said that the entire operation of GPL should be fully privatised. He said too that there should be changes to the relevant legislation to see to it that the PUC demands that GPL charges reasonable rates.
Vieira, now the Chairman of the Economic Services Committee, said that instead of the Government building the new Skeldon sugar factory, that money should have been used to advance the hydropower facility at Amaila Falls.
PPP/C member Irfan Alli said that it was decided in the Economic Services Commit-tee that the energy sector will be examined as a priority area. “We must allow the committee to work; we mustn’t just bring motions for political grandstanding. I ask that the Trotman motion be withdrawn and the committee be allowed to do its work,” he said.
Alli stated that the work being done by GPL must be put in perspective against what transpired during the days of the PNC, “when not one single watt of power was added to the grid.”
Reacting to the gains that Alli said are being made in the power sector, Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin, heckling, spoke in ‘sing-song’ a well known Sunday School hymn: “All things bright and beautiful. All creatures great and small…the Lord God made them all.” Corbin had been the PNC minister of public utilities at the point that there was a total shutdown of the electricity sector in the 80s.
Sheila Holder of the AFC, reacting to the disapproval by the Government of Trotman’s motion, said that there was a role for the PUC as well as political parties in hearing complaints of residents on the services they receive. “The consuming public has a right to choose if to take their complaints to the PUC or to a political party,” she said. “How dare you suggest that their complaints not be brought here?” she chided.
