…Recent withdrawal of IDB funds of no consequence – DindyalAs the second phase of the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP) continues, several communities throughout Guyana are being provided with electricity for the first time.According to Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light, Bharrat Dindyal, over the past three months works have been ongoing in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven.Already communities including Good Intent, Phoenix Park, some sections of Best Village, De Groot, Chateau’s Land (Region Three), Industry Railway embankment,China Jerseys Wholesale, Felicity, Lusignan East and Grass Field (Region Four) have been completed.In the meantime, works are ongoing in some sections of Bladen Hall and 25 per cent of works have been completed in some sections of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice.In response to a query on whether the Inter-American Development Bank’s withdrawal of funding from Guyana will affect the UAEP, Dindyal said it would not.“The money which was allocated for the programme is already in our pockets per se so the programme will not be affected.” The UAEP is jointly funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, Government of Guyana and Guyana Power and Light Incorporated, along with capital contributions from prospective customers. Guyana Power and Light is the executing agency for the investment component of the programme.GPL’s obligations are embodied in a project agreement entered into with the Government of Guyana.The key objectives of the investment component are to provide electricity to at least 30,000 households in what are classified as Unserved Areas, and to assess and reduce the losses which plague the company.The programme was divided into two phases; the first commencing in May 2005 to December 30, 2006 with the second phase scheduled to commence immediately thereafter and extend to December 2009.
