Dear Editor,
The Guyana Water Inc has not been able to get its billing system to any acceptable standard and this deficiency is causing its customers to have a very difficult task of being up-to-date with the payment of their accounts. While it is important that customers pay for the water they use, it is even more important for GWI to furnish them with bills in a timely manner. GWI in a television advertisement states clearly that not receiving a bill does not exempt one from paying the water rates. What I do know for a fact is that if you don’t have a bill and decide to visit one of GWI’s offices to make a payment you first have to go to the clerk and obtain a document/slip which states among other things the amount of money you wish to pay and you will also be told of your outstanding balance. However to have an audience with the clerk in most cases you are required to join a line. After receiving the slip you then proceed to the cashier to make your payment where you might have to join another line. With a bill you will only have to join one line and that is to pay the cashier. Unlike the wait at the clerk the transaction at the cashier is swift. What I would like to remind those in charge at GWI is that in the same way they are advocating that water is life and it shouldn’t be wasted, time is money and it shouldn’t be wasted either. So having to go to the clerk to obtain a slip before going to the cashier can be avoided and much precious time saved if a bill is sent to the customer.
With a bill one can pay one’s water rates at a money transfer location or the post offices, whichever one the customer finds more convenient and less time wasting.
Yours faithfully,
Colin Gill
