Prime Minister Samuel Hinds yesterday defended the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) saying that the utility provides service at rates comparable to CARICOM countries but he also disclosed that a recent study has suggested that foreign managers be brought in.
Hinds, who has responsibility for the electricity sector, was at the time making a presentation before a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees on Economic Services and Natural Resources at the Public Buildings. He said that in preparation for the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity project, there had been a review of GPL and recently there has been a focus on corporate development of the utility. He did not say who had done the review but it was likely the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which has been mulling financial participation in the Amaila project. The recommendation for the foreign managers would be an acknowledgment that there are deficiencies currently in GPL’s management echelons relative to taking on responsibilities that could come with the Amaila project.
According to the Prime Minister, the review suggested that GPL needs US$250 million and about a dozen overseas managers to improve the services provided by the company. He said that while there were some issues with the report, he chose to view it as “a good commentary on
