The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) wrapped up its 15th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday at the Umana Yana by honouring its longstanding employees with awards for their service and achievement.
Among the awards shared were commemorative prizes for employees who gave 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service, and 41 and 42 years’ long outstanding service. GWI was formed 15 years ago as an amalgamation of the Guyana Water Authority and the Georgetown Sewerage and Water Commissioners.
Branches were also honoured for their customer service and performance, with Region 2 being awarded for Most Outstanding in Customer Service and Region 10 receiving an award for Most Improved in the that area. While the former was judged based on criteria, such as having the most improved revenue compared to 2016, improvements in bill delivery and lowest per capita debt, the latter award was based on a 70% increase in revenue collection.
Region 6 received the award for Most Outstanding in Operations, while the Sanitation Department was singled out for the Most Improved in Operations. Region 6 would have satisfied the criteria of having the most outstanding response to leakages, planning and preventative maintenance, housekeeping, quality and energy conservation, while the Sanitation Department was found to have had the most improved response to complaints, proactivity in its response to complaints and the implementation of the planning preventive maintenance programme and housekeeping.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of GWI Dr Richard Van West-Charles, in his address to the audience, noted the company’s commitment to the development of its staff and noted that such investment yields productivity. Stating that the company would have spent approximately $67 million during the period October, 2015 to May, 2017 in the development of its human capital, Van West-Charles further noted that this investment covered training opportunities, both local and abroad, in a number of areas, including information technology, waste water treatment plant design, well drilling and customer relations and customer service.
“We do have some issues and we are going to strive from day to day to get to that high level of efficiency and effectiveness. Development cannot be achieved and be sustainable without human capital, hence, investment in our workers is paramount,” he said.
“…and every day we’re seeking to invest more and more. But as we do this investment, by itself it cannot improve productivity. We want to be assured that our staff are a happy staff because the evidence is there that productive companies are as the result of happy employees,” Van West-Charles acknowledged.
