The Rosignol Fisherman’s Co-op Society Limited (RFCSL), which owes the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) $26 million, has had its electricity disconnected.
Chairman of the RFCSL Sasenarine Harrinarine, who took over about four months ago, told this newspaper the money was built-up over a period under the past management.
He said the RFCSL has since signed a contract with GPL and is trying to accumulate a part of the money to pay and have the power restored.
In the meantime, the co-op has since bought a generator at a cost of $3.5 million and a compressor worth $900,000 to operate the ice factory. The factory supplies ice to the fishermen.
Further, Harrinarine said, the water had also been disconnected because the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) had sent several monthly bills, totalling over $1 million. He said RFCSL queried the bills and was told that was the sum due.
To address that issue the new management decided to drill a well at a cost of $3 million and it was completed yesterday. He was happy that from today [yesterday] there would be enough water. In the interim, the society had to hire a small truck to transport the water to the fisheries.
Members had told this newspaper that the wharf is in a terrible condition, but the chairman said that some repairs were done to it recently.
He pointed out that the co-op was in a bad state financially when he took over. He is confident that the investment of a “few million dollars” would help to improve the conditions at the fisheries.
He pointed out that another financial setback for the co-op is that it would purchase gas on a “hold over” basis at times and the dealer would add interest to the cost.
Meanwhile, this newspaper learnt that a few weeks ago the company suffered a break-in and $146,000 was stolen. Reports are that three persons were detained and later sent away.
