The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) was disturbed to learn, from media reports, of the decision to increase water rates in two tranches – the first effective from October 01, this year and the second from October 01, 2019. Through the increases approved, ordinary Guyanese will now have to find thousands of dollars more per year to enjoy an essential building block of life in the Land of Many Waters.
The FITUG saw from a Demerara Waves report, that the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) CEO, Dr Richard Van West Charles saying that the approved increases would be used in financing the Company’s capital works. Indeed this is saddening recognizing that for quite a number of years the State had been assisting the Company in reaching its capital requirements. It seems to us, in view of the expansion of tax revenues in recent times, the Administration can continue to provide such assistance and thus negating the necessity for the rate hike. Moreover, we recall that GWI’s personnel had admitted, according to the media, that rate increase could have been avoided if the Company were able to collect rates from all consumers. At this time, we are unaware of steps to go in this direction in order to stave off the rate hike.
As FITUG pointed out not too long ago, the water rate hike would now require all consumers to pay VAT on water as they would now exceed the threshold. Thus, this amounts to a further indirect increase of 14 per cent. This newest increase comes on the heels of several other burdens that have been placed on the workers in recent times and is causing workers, more and more, to curtail their consumption in order to live within their means. Slowly and steadily, dismayingly, workers, indeed working-people and citizens, are reaching the point where the proverbial straw will break the camel’s back.
