GPL managers may be fired next year if no improvement in electricity sector

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 December 2024, 22:05 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Friday vowed that if Guyanese continue to be hit by electricity outages next year, a number of Guyana Power & Light (GPL) managers would be fired.

“I’ve made it very clear to the management of GPL that heads will roll…that if we don’t see with these investments marked improvement by the end of the first quarter…then heads will roll,” he told an engagement with hand-picked media operatives, which was released on social media on Saturday night.

Dr Ali said the second power ship that was rented from the Turkish company, Karpowership, was not yet supplying electricity to the grid because the transmission line was still being built.

He also announced that government was working on securing technical expertise, possibly through a management support contract, for GPL because “we are investing to make it better and we will hold accountable the persons who ought to ensure the system works and works better.” The Dominican Republic (DR)-headquartered electricity company, InterEnergy Group (IEG), in March 2024 said it was on standby to assist GPL to manage its electricity supply.

The Guyana government is banking on the completion and switching on of the 300 megawatt natural gas-fired power generation plant at Wales to end the decades-old problem of blackouts. The administration, citing increasing demand, has invited the private sector to bid for the construction of a second generation plant.

A new control station and transmission network would also have to be built to distribute electricity to consumers.