Dear Editor,
Essequibo’s constant blackout woes will not be eased to any considerable degree given the limited megawatts being distributed to consumers.
GPL’s Wartsila generating capacity has been facing more challenges over the past years, with the demand being higher than at any other time in our history on the Essequibo Coast.
This is mainly a consequence of more businesses springing up, and owing to the blackouts businessmen are forced to buy their own generators.
Sometimes the power plant runs out of fuel and does not have enough supplies to last from month to month. This kind of thinking in GPL is a surefire recipe for disaster. Someone once wrote that the best prescription for economic slowdown is to throw money into GPL.
The CEO hasn’t yet learned that blackouts are still the enemy of the people of this country. In spite of the billions the power generation sector received in 2012, there has been no progress.
The administration did not put its emphasis on helping to eradicate this problem. For years GPL has forced businessmen and consumers to spend increasing amounts of money to purchase new electrical equipment because the systems malfunction and operate inefficiently. Much of the developing world is in a tumult of efficiency, innovation and positive change, but that is not how GPL operates.
Government should address these dynamic realities, since continued economic growth now hangs in the balance. Despite the challenges that lie ahead, there are grounds for optimism pointing to an increasingly energy secure future if changes are made at the management level.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
