President David Granger yesterday swore in two persons to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a body which he described as the “guardian of the public interest.”
The appointment of Dr. Leyland Lucas and Verlyn Klass became necessary following the departure of Maurice Solomon, who demitted office last December at the end of his term.
During the swearing in ceremony held at the Ministry of the Presidency, Granger stressed the importance of the Com-mission and later urged it to ensure that citizens have access to “safe, adequate, efficient, reasonable and non-discriminatory”, public utility services.
In addressing the small gathering shortly after the duo took their oath of office, Granger cited his government’s commitment to ensuring that citizens have easy access to public services as well as to public utility services. The country’s relatively large size, low population density and numerous small, isolated hinterland and riverine communities increase the costs, reliability and quality of such services, he pointed out.
Granger stated that government has been decentralising access to public services through its policies of regionalisation and local democracy. “Capital towns – at Bartica, Mabaruma, Mahdia and Lethem – have been established in our hinterland regions in order to boost their development and to ensure that public services, including public utilities, are delivered to the people,” he said.
The President added “Government is investing in improving public utility services. Wells are being drilled in remote communities to provide water. Internet access is being expanded across the country to improve communication. Unserved communities are being linked to the national electricity grid and other communities are being provided with solar-generated electricity. Public infrastructure – aerodromes, bridges, roads and stellings – are being extended and upgraded to improve transportation”.
The work of the PUC, he stressed, is “vital to protecting the public interest” by ensuring the delivery of public services.
The Commission, in accordance with the Public Utilities Commission Act 2016, is tasked with regulatory, investigative, enforcement and other functions conferred by the Act and other public utility laws.
Meanwhile, PUC Chair-man Dela Britton told reporters that she is heartened by the public response particularly in the latter part of 2018 to today’s date. She informed that the commission has rolled out an aggressive public relations campaign which includes visits around the country and has already seen an increase in “foot traffic.” She said that the commission is in the process of finding ways to better monitor utilities.
Britton said that now that the unit has been bolstered with the new members, the commission can focus on executing its mandate efficiently. She informed that in the last four months she was unable to make decisions because the commission did not have the full complement.
Britton in providing an update on the last order issued by the commission, said that GTT was required to roll out 350 service lines every quarter but they have been able to exceed that.
GPL and the Commission, she added, continue to work together in an effort to reduce the backlog of complaints. She reminded that the regulation that governs this entity is slightly different to the one in place for GTT and GWI. “We have been monitoring the faults as it relates to GPL and we continue to work with them to reduce the bottlenecks and to reduce the backlogs,” she said.
Britton urged members of the public to make contact with the commission to report faults even if they are not directly affected.
The PUC is located at 106 New Garden Street, Queenstown, Georgetown or on telephone numbers 227-3204 and 226-7042. All services are free of cost.
