— President Ali demands improvement in GPL service in 2025
IN a bold and decisive statement, President, Dr Irfaan Ali has warned that “heads will roll” if the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) fails to improve its services in 2025. Speaking with a group of women journalists during the second episode of In the Seat, the President emphasised the importance of reliable electricity service for the country’s economic growth, social development and overall quality of life.
President Ali’s strong words followed mounting concerns over frequent power outages, system failures and the deteriorating performance of GPL, which have led to widespread frustration among consumers. The public, including businesses and households, have been vocal in its dissatisfaction with the quality of service provided by the power company.
Dr Ali reiterated that the government’s focus was on modernisation, expansion, and improved efficiency of the country’s energy sector. The President explained that the government has already been investing heavily in upgrading the infrastructure to address these issues.
This includes the construction of new power plants; the expansion of the transmission and distribution networks; the rental of power ships and the integration of renewable energy sources.
“I have made it very clear to the management of GPL that ‘heads will roll’ there, if we don’t see, with these investments, marked improvements by the end of the first quarter. At the end of January, we will start looking for the type of improvements that I expect out of GPL. Then heads will roll,” the Head of State asserted.
The phrase “heads will roll” is a warning that certain actions will lead to severe consequences. It can also be used by employers to signify that they will terminate an employee’s employment.
President Ali also stressed the critical need to address human-resource gaps by recruiting more engineers, technicians, and linesmen to strengthen the workforce. “We’re also working on securing the technical expertise that can help in the management of GPL… to have a management-support contract. So, we are examining that right now.”
He emphasised that the government is investing in the power company and that the company must be held accountable for the quality of service it provides.
Earlier this year, President Ali expressed deep concern over the state of Guyana’s power infrastructure, which is significantly impacted by aged generators–some over 30 years old–compounded by a five-year period of maintenance neglect between 2015 and 2020 under the Alliance For Change + A Partnership for National Unity (APNU+AFC) government.
According to the Head of State, these issues have resulted in inefficiencies in power generation, thereby exacerbating the shortfall in meeting the nation’s escalating electricity demands.
Disruptions in the electricity network are often caused by traffic accidents and construction activities, while the country’s increasing electricity demand is driven by new housing developments. The gas-to-energy project, set to be launched next year, is poised to transform Guyana’s energy sector by delivering reliable power and cutting electricity costs by 50 percent.
