KINGSTON - Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Honourable Annette Ferguson, paid a visit to Port Kaituma, Region One on Thursday, December 10, 2015 where, she heard a number of complaints from the residents.
Among the complaints raised was the deplorable state of roads in Port Kaituma along with inadequate electricity supply from the Kaituma Power and Light (KPL) Company.
Minister Ferguson spent the entire day in the community where she paid visits to several areas, including the Port Kaituma Community Hospital; the KPL Power Plant; and the new Port Kaituma Hospital, which is currently under construction. During all of these visits, Minister Ferguson assessed the conditions of infrastructure, particularly the roads. In regards to these roads, Minister Ferguson expressed great displeasure at their state and noted that they would have been the product of years of neglect.
At KPL, Minister Ferguson spent more than an hour discussing problems at the power plant with Shawn James, KPL’s Chief Executive Officer. James outlined the problem areas, including constant blackouts and issues with engines. He explained that currently, Port Kaituma residents are privy to electricity only from 5:00pm to 7:00am each day, due to engine problems. Though KPL has three engines, only one is currently functional; the other two engines are down while repairs are being conducted on one of them.
James indicated that when the remedial works are completed, Port Kaituma residents will have 23 hours of electricity. James also shared that the residents, particularly the businesspersons, were reluctant to pay their bills due to the infrequent electricity.
There are just over 600 residences on the KPL power grid, James added. He further said that while outlying areas have no access to electricity, KPL is looking to extend and provide a secondary supply of electricity.
Minister Ferguson also focused on the internal administration of KPL and questioned James on the working conditions of the 11 staff members. In turn, James indicated that staff members have been victimised by residents in the past and oftentimes feel unsafe. He said too that they would have received threats.
“We are like, anybody else, servants; there are things outside of our control and that does not give anyone the right to threaten us,” James emphasised.
In response, Minister Ferguson emphasised that the issues of the past needed to be resolved today. She noted that while the new administration had a herculean task of fixing old and inherited problems, it was nonetheless ready to rise to the challenge for the sake of the Guyanese public.
“We’re a new administration and I prefer for us to be straight,” Minister Ferguson stressed to James. She went on, “At the end of the day, it’s not about you and I; it’s about the people here in Port Kaituma and ultimately the entire country.”
She stressed that cooperation is necessary for the betterment of the region.
Meanwhile, Minister Ferguson also participated in a joint community meeting with Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Honourable Sydney Allicock. During this meeting, members of the community were able to interact with the Ministers and voice their concerns. Minister Ferguson took the lead in this meeting and responded to questions, the majority of which touched on much-needed infrastructural development in Port Kaituma. She urged the residents to remain patient and said, “2015 is soon coming to an end but I can assure you that Port Kaituma will be taken care of.”
Other broached issues included the reopening of mining lands; regularisation of the community; erosion of the Port Kaituma waterfront; poorly managed garbage collection systems; exploitation of workers; poor healthcare facilities; and inadequate water supplies.
