The government has put “on hold” the hike in electricity tariffs for Linden from July 1 after coming under swingeing pressure from the community that culminated in a series of protests including one on July 18 in which three men were fatally shot by the police.
Following meetings with representatives for the mining town, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said in a statement yesterday that “as a result of the engagement…the government undertook to put on hold the July 1 deadline for the decision of the increase of the tariffs rate.” Lindeners strongly opposed the increase and argued that residents could not afford it because of the high unemployment rate in the mining town. A protest against the increase intensified on July 18 and has continued since. Luncheon’s statement said that government will also undertake several economic initiatives.
The statement said that since the July 18th incident, the administration has been meeting “practically on a daily basis” with stakeholders to address concerns that arose since the protest and, specifically since the shooting deaths. He said that the most recent engagement, with the regional chairman Sharma Solomon and his delegation took place on Monday, subsequent to an invitation extended by President Donald Ramotar to Solomon. His delegation included Vanessa Kissoon, the APNU Geographic Member of Parliament from Region 10, Aubrey Norton, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine and Nigel Hughes. Accompanying the President were Ministers Clement Rohee, Robeson Benn, Ashni Singh and Presi-dential Advisors Gail Teixeira and Odinga Lumumba as well as Luncheon.
The statement said that the atmosphere at that engagement was candid and frankness characterized the exchanges. Both sides were committed to finding ways towards the resolution of the issues and a return of normalcy within the mining community of Linden, Luncheon said. “As a result of the engagement, the government side has prepared its submission and submitted it to Mr. Solomon reflecting the Government of Guyana’s positions on important issues to which the RDC chairman undertook to respond… (with) regards to the electricity tariffs in the most critical and on the resulting event for the protest, the government undertook to put on hold the July 1 deadline for the decision of the increase of the tariffs rate,” the statement said.
“In the interim, the government also undertook to establish a technical team to look into all aspects of the electricity tariff system in Linden and, this review would include all available and practical options and the attendant implications, financial and otherwise. Also, the government undertook to have the composition, the members of the technical team named from collaboration on both sides and the team will draft terms of reference that would have been agreed upon by both sides,” he said.
According to Luncheon, the government side and the Region 10 administrative delegations undertook to have the technical team established as soon as possible, once the points – one and two previously mentioned were implemented.
“The second undertaking dealt with the economic initiatives and the Government side undertook – it actually reiterated its commitments made in the April 2012 budget talks with the parliamentary opposition APNU and AFC with regards to the resuscitation of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), the successor to the Linden Economic Advancement Programme, the establishment of a microcredit scheme for the region, along the lines of the Women of Worth microcredit scheme already in existence,” the statement said.
Luncheon stated that the government also reaffirmed that it had been and will continue the exploration leading to the introduction of such a scheme by a commercial bank for Region 10 specifically and for Linden in particular. “Further the government side also undertook to encourage the regional chairman and the RDC in consultation with the community to submit its priority of economic activities that in its opinion would benefit the Linden community and Region 10 in the short, medium and long-term, taking of course into consideration the existing investment programme and other proposals,” he said.
The statement said that the region will submit its proposals to the government side within one month or by the end of August 2012. Additionally the government side undertook to have the Ministry of Agriculture work with farmers in the West Watooka area and other farmers in Linden to realize Region 10’s agriculture potential, it added.
