Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 11, 2014 News
Government is standing its ground that Region Nine must pay electricity rates increases that were announced back in January.
The issue has pitted Lethem, a community bordering Brazil, and a number of Region Nine Amerindian communities
against the administration. They have submitted a petition containing 300-plus signature presented to the National Assembly yesterday.
The petition, presented by Sydney Allicock, a Member of Parliament for A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), called for a hold on the increases until consultations.
Yesterday, in presenting the petition, the MP made it clear that it is not a case of Region Nine not wanting to pay increases but there must be sweeping changes in the management in place of the Lethem Power Company Inc.(LMPCI). There must also be an investigation into all possible malpractices.
However, according to Prime Minister Sam Hinds, the petition does not advance the needs of poor people nor speak to that Region Nine. Rather it was addressing concerns of Lethem.
“Our policy is to advance electricity equitably,” he said, with Government’s policies centered around contributing the capital resources for the facilities but the customers must cover the operational costs.
Prior to January, Region Nine was paying $1,200 monthly for electricity charges.
Government had moved to solve Region Nine’s power demand by investing $700M in 1999 for the Moco Moco hydro project. However, disaster had struck with a landslide and other factors, delaying the project.
While annually it cost over $100M to run the power station, collections were just over $100,000 monthly.
It is therefore, Hinds argued, an “unconscionable” and “ill-informed” decision by Lethem to come with such petition.
The official also insisted that it is untrue that no consultations were done as he was in that area twice in the past
months and the matter had been raised.
Already, a number of generators for the area has been ordered and is in the city for transfer there.
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