Moruca Power Company to join Hinterland Electrification Unit

December 19, 2016

GINA, GUYANA, Monday, December 19, 2016

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure will formalise the Moruca Power and Light, removing it from the regional power supply grid.

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson told residents of Moruca, Region One over the weekend, that his ministry is in the process of selecting a board from the sub-district to oversee the operations of the Moruca Power and Light.

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson

The board will take effect from January 1, 2017 and will fall under the purview of the Ministry’s Hinterland Electrification Unit (HEU). Minister Patterson told residents this will improve the management of the power supply to the sub-district.

“The good thing about coming out of the region is that…it is far better, I’d like to say managed and resourced, than the region,” Minister Patterson said. Moruca will become the tenth community to come under the HEU, Minister Patterson explained.

Budget 2017 has allocated $10M to support the formalisation of the power company. “That will come to augment and help you run the Moruca Power and Light and that starts from January 1,” Minister Patterson told residents during a brief meeting.

The Minister also committed to extending the hours of electricity provision when the generator can work, a commitment that was well received by residents. “As soon as the budget is passed and everything is in place, I’ll ensure that you have additional resources for your light,” Minister Patterson said.

Residents were also assured that work will be done to their roads in the new year. “I’ll send my hinterland coordinator…sometime in the first

Moruca resident Cecil Torres

quarter, and we’ll look to see what we can do,” Minister Patterson promised. Consultations will be held with residents to determine “what section of the road will benefit (them) the most and we’ll start there,” the Minister stated.

Meanwhile, residents pointed out to the Minister that the bridge linking Kumaka and Santa Rosa is in need of repairs. “Our bridge right now is deteriorating,” Cecil Torres told the Minister.

It was pointed out to the residents that the current administration had inherited the bridge in such conditions, but assurances were giventhat it would be addressed. Minister Patterson encouraged residents to speak out against poor infrastructure work being done in the communities in future. “You shouldn’t be accepting these things…we all should stop these things,” Minister Patterson told residents.

Minister Patterson pointed out that an engineer and clerk of works have been identified to assistant the Region, Toshao and community in any infrastructure project being undertaken.