Over 110 held over electricity theft
One hundred and ten persons have been arrested for electricity theft following raids by the power company in several areas over the last two weeks.
A press release from the company yesterday said that it was determined to send a strong message to those persons who insist on stealing electricity and personnel of its loss reduction unit have been operating in almost every area, conducting raids both day and night.
At Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, the company said, six persons were arrested and four summoned to court over stealing electricity.
Two persons from Cornelia Ida, two from Sisters Village and another two from Edinburgh, West Bank Demerara are also among those arrested, the company said, adding that a total of 60 were also caught in Sophia with 11 facing charges of electricity theft.
Five persons from Ruimveldt, three from Vryheid’s Lust and 15 collectively from Haslington, Annandale and Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara were also arrested.
Other areas from which persons were arrested include Bladen Hall, Nabaclis and Triumph and Mocha on the East Bank Demerara.
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) warned that it intends to seek out all those persons who are involved and have them face the full force of the law.
It reminded too that the penalty for stealing electricity is a fine of $50,000 and a mandatory sentence of one year imprisonment.
“No one would be spared. This determined stance by GPL comes as the company intends to drastically reduce its losses associated with electricity theft,” the statement also urged.
Make the light bill “lite” and provide to all then the people wouldn’t have to steal the electricity.
You are on the moneyt on this one my brother.
the light bill rate is the rate….some people will still thief it even if is was free…thats how they are addicted to-thiefing…..
stealing is not the answer.
It reminded too that the penalty for stealing electricity is a fine of $50,000 and a mandatory sentence of one year imprisonment.
One year imprisonment seems quite harsh to me (not condoning stealing). This is where community service should come in!
Community Service is alien to Guyana.
As yet the Courts do not seem to apply this as a form of sentencing.
I guess there would be need for more community workers to manage such
sentences, but no money available.
If the imprisonment sentence is mandatory, then it would be in the best interests of the accused to negotiate a settlement so that the GPL gains somethinmg
from their policing. A fine and imprisonment does not benefit GPL, though they
send clear messages to the populace.
But….but GPL is not free from blame.
They are the archietects of the problems with estimated billings, blackouts,
failing to serve quite a lot of areas both old and new,…nuff nuff problems.
GPL GET TOUGH. BUT THEY FORGET TIMES HARD EH,
…. they need to go into enclaves ,, like Happy Acres ,, and business places ,,
the well to do ,, and the affluent ,,, they too steal ,,,,,, and it should not stop with ,, electricity ,,, cos the people ,, use the electricity to steal the water ! go figure !…..
Ah, but WHO will bell THAT cat?
GPL need to get there act together, how can a company that supply electricity to a country always has black outs and the bills and still so very high, I started to return to Guyana every year for the pass ten years and there is always black out, every day, where I am staying, and yet when my in laws received they bills, it is out of this world, what Guyana need is another company to supply electricity, and would charge the users the correct amount for what there are using.I have never seen a meter reader in guyana, I remember last year that my in laws were out of the country for about two months, and when there received the bill, it was robbery, so when I hear that people are stealing the electricity, GPL need to ask themselves why.
i started returning to guyana ever since 1980 and it was woss up to 92….
so be thankful for the littel improvement yuh get wen yuh guh deh….
water and light was de woss problem then….
I DO HOPE THE CAMPAIGN MOVES TO 194 DEOBIRANA STREET PRASHAD NAGAR GEORGETOWN SHORTLY
hahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahaheheheh
Who lives there???
GPL has established a kind of monopoly in Guyana. People have no choice but to pay their high rates for a little lighting in their homes.
The power supply from GPL stinks because of frequent low voltage and blackouts. Now they have the authority to lock up people? That’s sickening.
I know how desperate people are to get electricity in their homes, but stealing electricity is a very dangerous practice. Think of all those persons who were electrocuted by those haphazard wires. It’s not worth your life. The Government needs to ensure that all have access to a proper service connection and a reasonable bill.
The people steals electricity because it’s probably too costly for them to pay, the govt should subsidize the cost at least a 40% with all those revenues/vat that they are collecting!
No amount of inefficiency on GPL’s part warrants theft. It’s illegal and downright dangerous. Kids play in places where these illegal wires are run. Further, if the law enforcers are smart, they should offer plea bargains to those arrested to disclose the persons hooking up the connection. They are the ones enabling this nonsense and deserve stiffer penalties. Only problem is GPL may lose half their employees if this is done! LOL.
Bottom line is GT folks continue to accept mediocrity and have no interest in effecting change from the top- they prefer to engage in activities to cushion the effects of bad governance at a personal level, then turn around and seh “this is Guyana”. They should pay attention to what going on in Thailand and take a page out of that book.