Dear Editor,
In response to a letter published in your newspaper on Monday, May 22, 2023, captioned “Corrupt and unethical conduct within GPL” the Guyana Power and Light Inc. wishes to state that our company has a zero-tolerance policy regarding misconduct in office. Any engagement in misconduct by staff should be brought to the company’s attention along with evidence to support the complaint in order for the appropriate action(s) to be taken.
Security Deposit
On the subject of the Security Deposit, any application for a postpaid service requires payment of a security deposit, which is determined by the Certificate of Inspection issued to the applicant by the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI). Schedule 3 of the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1990 and the Standard Terms and Conditions for an Electric Service stipulate these requirements. The security deposit calculations are based on established formulas and are approved by Senior Officers.
Staff Promotions
The writer also mentioned the “promotion of unqualified staff.” The promotion of staff is governed by the company’s HR Policies. Employees’ annual performance assessments, qualifications and experience are examined in order to shortlist employees for interviews. Once successful an employee is appointed to a position with a probationary period before being confirmed.
Deploying Customer Centric initiatives
GPL is working to strengthen its customer-centric culture. This can be evidenced by customer-friendly initiatives such as the My GPL Customer Portal, Toll-free service to the company’s Customer Call Centre, Useful information via various social media platforms, customer outreaches, use of WhatsApp for meter reading submissions and SMS to convey messages.
This customer-centric culture also necessitates the multiskilling and exposure of staff to different aspects of the company’s operations. On the contrary, this practice should widen employees ‘comfort zone’ mentalities. In closing, the company maintains an open-door policy which is geared to address any concerns or issues that employees may have or present.
Sincerely,
Natalie Pindar
Guyana Power and Light Inc.
