The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) was forced to suspend all payment arrangements for telephone and internet bills through Bill Direct after the Barbados-based company—which owes hundreds of millions to GPL—suspended its operations here due to internal problems.
GT&T Chief Financial Officer Royston Rajpaul told Stabroek News yesterday that Bill Direct has stopped collecting money countrywide, while adding that that “they have some restructuring and internal issues.”
He advised that GT&T customers make their payments at GT&T locations countrywide or through authorized collectors, including banks.
Bill Direct has been embroiled in a row with Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) over the misappropriation of funds for more than a year now. Sums of money that would have been paid to the billing company by GPL customers were not paid over to the power company, GPL has said.
GPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bharat Dindyal said the owed sum is in the vicinity of $183 million. He said that he could not speak much on the issue as the matter is before the court and noted that the company’s lawyers are trying to take steps to recover the money, while pointing out that Bill Direct does not have much assets in Guyana.
The power company terminated its agreement with bill payment service in May last year.
Stabroek News was unable to reach officials from the billing company for comment.
