The Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) has appealed to the National Assembly and the Executive to reconsider cuts made to funding intended for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the specialty hospital.
In a release on Wednesday, the GCA stated that considering the entities’ “humanitarian” nature, everything possible should be done to ensure that GPL has sufficient funding to carry out its mandate, and that the specialty hospital receives the requisite funding to be completed.
An allocation of $1.25 billion intended for the specialty hospital project was the first of cuts made by the combined opposition, who last Monday voted to reduce the amount to $1. It also voted to slash $5.2 billion from GPL’s intended $10.2 billion budget. On both occasions’ members of the opposition stated that the government had failed to convince them that the funds should be dispersed to the two entities.
However the GCA argued that “the funding of both projects will bring great relief to consumers and the general population of Guyana.” It said that GPL failing to receive the required funding would result in extended and regular blackouts, which would likely affect hospitals, sick rooms at homes, studying students as well as loss of jobs by workers who may find themselves on the bad end of commercial cut backs. It also stated that the cuts may force customers to pay more as the company may increase tariff levels to make up for its losses.
Chairman of GPL’s Board of Directors had said on Monday that the loss of the funds may very well cause the company to increase tariffs and/or scale back on some of its projects, and by extensions, the employees who were attached to those projects.
In relation to funding for the specialty hospital, the GCA said that if completed it would make available medical treatment and professionals which is currently only available overseas. It said that many Guyanese currently are forced to travel or wait long hours to receive medical attention, while others sometimes are misdiagnosed due to the lack of specialist services.
The GCA said it hesitated to speak out against the cuts since it did not want its position to be cast as “political,” but said the possible ramifications to Guyanese consumers has prompted its response.
