As we observed World Consumers Rights Day on March 15 2011 consumers are reminded to know their rights.
The right to basic needs
The right to safety
The right to be informed
The right to choose
The right to be heard
The right to redress
The right to consumer education
The right to a healthy environment
Critical awareness
Consumers must be alert and questioning about the goods and services they use.
Action
Consumers must act on what they know to be fair and just demands.
Social responsibility
Consumers must be concerned about the impact of their consumption behaviour on other citizens, particularly on the disadvantage groups in the local, national or international community
Ecological responsibility
Consumers must be sensitive to what their consumption of goods does to the environment, and not waste scarce natural resources or pollute the earth
Solidarity
Consumers must act together through the formation of consumer groups which have the strength and the influence to promote consumer interest.
Public Utilities Commission Order No 3 of 2005 reads as follows:
In the matter of an application by Guyana Water Inc for an increase in rates.
Taking into account all that we have hitherto set out we grant an increase of 10 per cent on the rates at present in force for the unmetered consumers, and an increase of 5 per cent on the rates in force for the metered consumers.
The increase shall take effect for the supply of water and sewage services with effect from 1st July 2005.
1. Reduce non revenue water to 39.4 per cent as stipulated in the licence.
2. Ensure that there is, average, a 12 hour flow of water to consumers.
3. Submit to the Commission an age analysis of the debts inherited from GS&WC and GUYWA and GWI’s proposal for their collection or write off.
4. Ensure compliance with the debt collection efficiency of 80.6 per cent as set out in the licence.
5. Comply with licence standard of metering coverage of 52.7 per cent of consumers.
6. All unmetered customers to be billed yearly in advance.
7. Metered customers to be billed quarterly in advance.
8. Install the new billing and accounting systems.
9. Restructure the tariff bands to allow for uniformity and smaller number of bands
10. Comply with the standards set out in the licence in relation to water quality.
11. If item at 10 cannot be met, submit to the Commission modifications of the standards agreed with the Government and GWI’s compliance with those modified standards
12. Submit to the Commission any agreement with the Government of Guyana regarding subvention to be given to GWI.
13. Submit to the Commission a copy of the annual external standards audit.
14. Submit to the Commission, not later than 45 days after the end of each month, GWI’s monthly:
(i) Financial Statements. These should include the Profit and Loss Statement, the Balance Sheet and Cash flow Statement with explanatory notes.
(ii) Age analysis of debtors.
(iii) Analysis of use of electricity.
(iv) Detailed water productions statistics.
(v) Details of non revenue water statistics
(vi) Progress report on metering programme, and
(vii)Water quality test results with explanatory notes
Publish in the daily national newspapers the approved rates for the information of consumers; and must post up copies of the rates at its several offices and branches in conspicuous locations throughout the country.
[The emphasis is ours.]
