With over $400 million in losses to theft of cables so far for the year, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) is now turning to communities countrywide with its “Help us Help you” programme to catch perpetrators.
In a very emotional plea to the public, GT&T Chief Executive Officer Yog Mahadeo yesterday said the theft was crippling the company, causing many setbacks not only to DSL and landline phone users but delaying services to new applicants by more than half a year in some cases.
This, he explained, was due to the fact that the same technicians that have to constantly replace stolen cables are required to install services to new customers.
Mahadeo appealed to the public to be vigilant in their communities and to report any acts of vandalism or theft. “We are pleading with people to help us …it has taken a toll on every bit of budget that we have had, every staff, every technician everything that we have had out there,” he said at a press briefing the company held to discuss the issue yesterday.
To the ordinary customer, Mahadeo explained, an act of vandalism might seem easy to fix but it was complicated. Using the example of one 400-paired cable, he said, it would require individual fixes to both ends of the cables and a tedious check of a total 800 cables would be required of technicians.
He said that while he understood the frustration and inconvenience of customers, who critically depend on their service provider for service, “bearing with the company,” was all he was asking for.
Further, he informed that recently there have been many complaints, especially from DSL customers. As a result, the company plans to give a discount of 25% to all DSL customers whenever they go to the offices to pay their next bill.
“We hope this can be a reach, can be a handshake across because we recognise what problems you have had and we do hope and we do beg for you to bear with us and understand the problems we are having with the thieves,” he said.
Mahadeo said the over $400 million quoted was only for cable replacement as the company was still calculating revenue loss from possible calls, internet and other areas affected by the theft.
Among the areas singled out as being worst hit by the situation are Cummings Lodge, Houston and Sophia, with 53 other communities affected.
It is to these areas that the company said that they will interface with persons begging for their vigilance in bringing an end to the problem.
Mahadeo used the forum to thank residents of Sophia, noting that fed up with constantly losing service to thieves, they approached the company to form a community watch group.
The company now assists with fuel for the community watchdogs’ vehicle and from that exercise one person has been caught so far and handed over to the police. Charges are still to be laid.
