Employees of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) are legally permitted to enter private premises for the purposes of official business without receiving permission from the person in charge of the property, Prime Minister Sam Hinds pointed out to the National Assembly on Wednesday.
According to the Prime Minister, “any officer of GPL, on production of authenticated documentation of his status with the company, is authorized to enter the premises of consumers within reasonable hours of the day.” However, they are only allowed to do this if they are installing, inspecting, repairing altering or removing electricity meters, electric lines or any other electrical apparatus on the premises or if they are connecting or disconnecting the supply of electricity. The Prime Minister explained that this can be done according to section 13 of the Third Section to the Electricity Sector Reform Act of 1999.
Additionally, he said that persons accompanying the official of GPL for the same purposes are also authorized to enter the premises of any consumer. Hinds, however, noted that these persons cannot use force to enter the premises such as the breaking of locks.
Meanwhile Hinds also said that any person requiring GPL to supply electricity to a building not owned by them must provide GPL with documentation as to the identity of the person holding the legal title of the land. He added that this proof of identity is best served by the production of a transport or certificate of title to the land. Hinds said that this was also a legal requirement found in section 4 (1), (c) and (2) of the Third Schedule to the Electricity Sector Reform Act of 1999.
Further, he said that under subparagraph 4 (1) (a) of the Third Schedule a tenant must produce to GPL, his tenancy agreement with the legal title holder of the premises in any application for the supply of electricity to the said premises.
The Prime Minister provided these answers at the sitting of the National Assembly, and was at the time responding in writing to questions posed by PNCR-1G MP Volda Lawrence about some of the procedures employed by the power company.
