Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali told a Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) planning workshop that he wants to develop the utility into one that is highly efficient where good governance and customer service are among its hallmarks, by the year 2012.

The workshop was held under the theme ‘Sharing the Vision’ and sought to build partnerships with stakeholders by sharing various aspects of its operations to ensure an efficient, sustainable and financially viable water and sewerage sector while delivering a high quality service to customers. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Ali said GWI must be proactive in driving change and implementing new and better technology to fulfill its mandate. He said too it will strive to “be responsive in listening to the needs of the various stakeholders and community…this is part of our responsibility as an entity that has the responsibility of managing one of the most essential and basic resource of our people, water.”

Ali also told participants that responsibility for the water sector does not lie only with the GWI but with the citizenry. “We must take that responsibility with pride because at the end of the day we are contributing to national development. We are aiding in a process of developing one of the most basic infrastructure in taking and moving Guyana forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, GWI Chairman, Dr Cyril Solomon said that the vision goes beyond the requirements of the Millennium Development Goals relating to the provision of potable water by the year 2015 to reduce by half the number of persons living without potable water. He said there are many prerequisites that must be in place for the goal to be achieved, one of which is the enabling environment.

Dr Solomon said GWI must make optimal use of its resources and meet the expectations of its stakeholders. “All organisations, without exception, fall short of the ideal but GWI must constantly evaluate its governance status and make the innovations that take it closer to the ideal. This is the most cost effective way of achieving its goals and objectives,” he said. He cited the need for an appropriate governance structure where institutions conduct their affairs “so as to guarantee the realization of their goals and objectives, while simultaneously safeguarding value, such as human rights which are held sacrosanct”, GINA said.

According to GINA several presentations and interactive discussions by GWI and finance ministry representatives were conducted at the seminar. These included presentations and updates on GWI’s Turnaround Plan financial reforms, capital investment and operations, the sewerage system, hinterland water strategy and new opportunities for Hope and Land of Canaan.

Stakeholders from across the country including representatives from the donor community, manufacturing and private sectors and regional chairmen from the various coastal regions attended the meeting.