News Room Reports : Aubrey Norton, the Presidential Candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has pledged to maintain low electricity rates in Linden if the party is elected in the upcoming September 1 General and Regional Elections. Speaking at a campaign rally in Linden, Norton emphasized the importance of affordable electricity for the development of industries beyond bauxite in the mining town.
Norton accused the current government of planning to increase electricity costs beyond the existing subsidized rates, a claim the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has denied. He warned the residents:
“Understand what they are trying to tell you. It’s a nice way of saying to you that we will remove the subsidy from electricity in Linden, that must not happen.”
Linden currently relies on the Linden Electricity Company, which purchases power from the Bosai Mineral Group and distributes it to thousands of households. This arrangement is heavily subsidized by the government, allowing Lindeners to enjoy some of the lowest electricity rates in the country.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips previously announced plans to connect Linden to the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) main grid, known as the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). He assured residents that this connection would not lead to increased electricity costs.
“Linden has the cheapest electricity rates in Guyana… and as a government, we are committed to maintaining those rates; we will not increase it,” Phillips stated during the signing of a contract for a new 15-megawatt solar farm in Linden.
The government aims to reduce reliance on the subsidized power arrangement with Bosai through this solar initiative, while also planning to enhance Linden’s electricity supply from upcoming projects, including the 300 MW Gas-to-Energy project and the 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydropower project.
Currently, approximately $5 billion is invested annually to subsidize electricity for residents in Region 10, underscoring the significance of this issue in the political landscape as elections approach.
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