GPL asks Govt to bail out GWI from $7B electricity debt

The Guyana Water Incorporation (GWI) has informed the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) that it is unable to pay some $7 billion for electricity usage, but the GPL is, however, hoping that Government would offset part of the debt.

This revelation was made on Thursday during a hearing of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on GPL’s Operating Standards and Performance Targets.
GPL’s Divisional Director of Finance, Loris Nathoo, told the hearing that the water company’s average monthly light bill is between Gy$220 million and Gy$250 million, and the $7 billion electricity bill was accumulated over the past two years, ending August 2020.
Nathoo said GWI notified GPL that it did not have the money to pay its electricity bill. He said Government is aware of the situation, and he hopes that some resolution would be arrived at very soon.

According to GPL Deputy CEO Renford Homer, GWI’s non-payment is a major challenge. He reasoned that if GWI had been receiving payments, it would have been able to meet its targets and overall production.