Amidst heightening public concern over the erratic nature of the electricity supply in coastal Guyana, and relative muted but boisterous protest by domestic consumers and businesses alike, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) announced on Monday that its Petroleum Committee had facilitated a discussion forum on energy supply with head of the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), Kesh Nandlall.
Nandlall, the GCCI’s Petroleum Committee, through its release, made no comment on the power company’s schedule for restoring the power situation to a circumstance that at least bears a resemblance of normalcy. The discussions, which convened on Monday, April 22, featured an interactive discussion between Nandlall and other officials from the power company, purportedly afforded the Chamber “an opportunity to learn more about GPL’s plans for the future given how the frequent power outages have been affecting the private sector’s ability to operate efficiently and at maximum capacity.”
According to the Chamber’s release, the head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee afforded the forum “a detailed presentation on various aspects of GPL’s operations, including current and projected demand, as well as current and projected generation capacity in the immediate, short and medium term.” While Nandlall’s presentation reportedly focused on “plans for the integration of renewable energy sources” and entertained discourse on “the current and projected investment and development of GPL’s transmission and distribution network” the GCCI’s’s release omitted to make any reference to any immediate-term plans to bring an end to weeks of persistent and protracted power outages which, for consumers, has been as prolonged as they have been costly.
The GPL Management Committee head also reportedly provided what the release described as “a candid outline of current challenges facing the power company” as well as,” required investment, and how the company is addressing these situations.” GPL, according to Nandlall, faces “substantial challenges,” asserting in the process that the company “has been getting the support it needs from the government.” Accordingly, the release states that the GPL “remains optimistic that issues will be resolved,” declining to provide even indicative timelines for the promised resolution. GCCI members were reportedly “given the opportunity to field a number of questions to Mr. Nandlall and his support staff, and received clarity on a number of their concerns.”
