The complaints coming from both private citizens and the business community about the constant power outages and voltage surges have increased again. In fact, frustrated citizens have taken to social media and the media to publicly express frustration over prolonged periods of blackout in their communities, with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) doing very little to convince the populace that blackouts would become a thing of the past.
Despite promises from both the previous and present Governments, the nation would benefit from improved electricity supply, consumers are yet to see any measurable progress in relation to an affordable and reliable service.
With the opening up of new housing schemes and numerous developmental projects along with oil and gas support companies around the country, there is an increased demand for electricity, which means that more energy has to be generated to satisfy that demand. If serious efforts are not made to produce more electricity to meet this increasing demand, there would always be pressure on the existing systems, resulting in power surges and extended periods of blackout.
There seems to be some hope, however; with Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar on Monday reiterating what Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced that Government has spent US$27.5 million to procure 17 generator sets that will provide a combined 28.9 megawatts of electricity.
These engines are expected to arrive in Guyana later this month and hopefully bring some much-needed relief to the blackout woes that have hit the nation.
Businesses have been very vocal about the huge negative impact the constant periods of blackout have had on their operations. While it would be difficult to place a monetary figure on the extent of the economic loss resulting from unstable power, it would be correct to say that the losses in terms of downtime and lost business have been quite significant.
In addition to the disruption to manufacturing and trading, among other industries, there is also the disruption to the night-time entertainment industry.
An unstable electricity supply in any country serves as a deterrent to investors. While some large businesses in the manufacturing sector have opted to provide their own independent power supply, small businesses cannot afford to do so, since the use of alternative power supply adds significantly to operating costs.
To help private citizens and small businesses, President Dr Irfaan Ali himself had asked major businesses to assist with “temporary measures” by leaving the grid at peak hours.
It was obvious that these businesses with self-generation capacity would not have adhered since the Government in an effort to bring down the cost of electricity for all consumers removed the excise tax on fuel. This means it was cheaper for them to stay on the grid rather than self-generate.
That said, we are not oblivious to the many problems being experienced by GPL. These problems, which include line losses, particularly owing to electricity theft, have been known for decades, and have certainly had a tremendous impact on the company’s ability to provide better services to consumers.
The extent of electricity theft in Guyana is shocking, and GPL must continue to tackle the issue frontally. The costs for stolen electricity are passed down to ordinary consumers, who are made to feel the brunt of such illegal actions. All efforts must, therefore, be made to ensure that persons who are involved in such practices are placed before the courts. No doubt, once such issues are addressed, the company would be in a better position to perform better.
It is unacceptable that citizens are still faced with blackouts and voltage surges. In fairness to GPL, it is clear they understand the depth of the problem and how consumers and businesses are affected. However, the company, and by extension the Government, must take the necessary steps to fix the problem of blackouts once and for all. Anything less is unacceptable.
