GWI owes GPL a GYD$7 billion electricity bill

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 September 2020, 12:22 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) owes the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) owes GYD$7 billion over the past two years and the power company hopes that the now more than one-month old Irfaan Ali-led administration would help to pay off some of that debt, a senior GPL official said Thursday.

GPL’s Divisional Director of Finance Loris Nathoo told a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearing on the power company’s Operating Standards and Performance Targets that GWI’s average monthly electricity bill is about GYD$220 million to GYD$250 million.

Mr. Nathoo said GWI’s debt is up to the end of August, 2020.

Mr. Nathoo said GWI has informed GPL that it “did not have the funds” to pay its electricity bills and, despite correspondence between the two utility companies and their ministries. “No concrete arrangement were ever finalised for GWI to settle their balance. The current administration is aware of the outstanding balances and we fully expect that in a short space of time some resolution to this matter would be had,” he said.

GPL’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Renford Homer described GWI’s non-payment as a “major challenge.” “We have not been receiving payments over the year despite our engagements and, of course, to the notification of the shareholder,” he said.

He added that if GWI had been receiving its payments, it would have met its target and overall performance.