Dear Editor,
I was most heartened to learn that henceforth, teams from Guyana Power and Light will visit communities and listen to people.

They say they will ask why bills are not being paid, and an opportunity will be given to people with outstanding bills to get themselves in order.  The PR Clerks, as I refer to them, are not interested in disconnection but bringing joy to people and providing the opportunity for people to go legal.

I have been saying this to various managers for over a decade, over and over.  Give people a chance, not as soon as a fault is found, or in event of a need for a sudden retro charge, a sudden unwarned bill is sent. This creates ‘shock and awe’ in peoples hearts, with the expectation that it must be paid by the time given or cut off follows.  This is tantamount to terror, in modern civilization, especially, when retro charges may be unjustified, and even if unjustified, a mechanism, humane and workable needs to be worked out with people.

The former technique of shock and awe was working against GPL and even affecting the Government, as people were getting turned off the governing party, thinking, they were out to harass and decimate the poor people.  Those stealing were finding more and more interesting methods.

The change in style of management is welcomed most sincerely, and the Chief Executive Officer and his team which finally accepted this Modus Operandi in Public Relations will attract much respects and appreciation by the people.

May I use the opportunity to say also that I am happy to learn that the Chief Executive Officer, a most capable man to manage GPL, in my opinion at this time, will stay on until vital projects are completed and a new CEO is identified.  He may at times seem harsh and difficult, but when one understands the kind of workforce and workload, one sometimes has to be Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, as we say in Guyanese parlance.  Definitely, he is at times overwhelmed, and hence, may make decisions which people may disagree with, especially when there are so many thefts within GPL, dishonest staff, and a large percent of the population involved in electrical theft.  It is natural that such a person may be hardened and toughened, and the innocent suffer as a result.  Sad but true.

I personally have some problems with GPL, and while working to clear the matter, I still respect the fact that GPL is a business, a corporation, and that without finance, it cannot provide service.  People must pay in a timely manner.  Despite having a court order against GPL, I still pay my dues.

Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan