Spate of power outages disrupting business operations – GCCI complains

See below the full statement issued:

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) wishes to express its profound disappointment with the continued state of power outages in Guyana.

The Chamber of Commerce notes that this continued spate of power disruptions is having an acute impact on the productivity of enterprises.

The GCCI has also noted that this is cascading into general underperformance of enterprises. This continued loss of productive time, disruption to production and an overall hindrance to the smooth functioning of business will impede both growth and investment prospects.

The GCCI at this time wishes to reiterate its unwavering support for investments that will create a sustainable energy mix for Guyana including the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Gas to Energy Project and Solar Farms.

These projects, in the view of the Chamber, represent the future of Guyana’s energy supply. However, the Chamber of Commerce also calls on the Guyana Power & Light and, by extension, the Government of Guyana to employ measures that will bridge the current generation shortfall.

The Chamber is also of the view that better forecasting, planning and investments into the energy sector will profoundly mitigate this bugbear on the life of the Guyanese people. Power outages have been decades-long feature of life in Guyana and, it is the hope of the Chamber of Commerce that this does not translate into life in our newfound status as a rapidly emerging economy.