GWI records $5B revenue collection for 2019
―Among key achievements for the past year
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, January 02, 2020
The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has collected some $5Billion in revenue for 2019.
Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles made the announcement at the recent year-end press conference.
The revenue haul was among several key achievements in 2019.
“We saw a great improvement in revenue collection, but it goes along with the expansion of service and responding to the need in terms of citizens who did not have access to potable water. The revenue collection moved from $3Billion in 2012 to $5.3Billion in 2019; this is the highest from 2012 to 2019,” Dr. Van West-Charles noted.
But he added that the company did not make a profit.
“There is still an outstanding debt of $3 billion for customers who have not paid, and seventy percent of our collection is coming from our metered customers and the rest is from unmetered which consume the largest amount,” he explained.
Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, Managing Director of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI),
The Director further noted that 97 percent of coastlanders receive potable water and more than 80 percent of persons in the hinterland have access to clean and safe water, specifically in Regions 1, 7, 8, and 9.
“Over 75 percent of our customers are now receiving 24 hours water supply, and throughout 2018 and 2019, we installed more than 20,000 meters to improve the company monitoring system,” Dr. Van West-Charles said.
He also highlighted that over 800 staff members were trained in core activities such as well drilling, geophysical technology uses, occupational health and safety, and emergency medical techniques.
Several also attended conferences in Jamaica and St. Kitts to advance the implementation of the Regional Strategic Action Plan on Governance and Water for the Caribbean.
Dr. Van West-Charles related that GWI aims to ensure that every school, hospital and health facility receives potable water in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), which targets availability and sustainable water management and sanitation for all.