Demerarawaves.com
First day of protest in the bauxite mining town, Linden
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
Except for commercial banks, most businesses in the bauxite mining town of Linden closed their doors and public transportation ground to a halt to mark the beginning of a five-day shutdown against a hike in electricity tariffs.
Businesses, including the post office, did not open Wednesday. Privately-owned boats across the Demerara River docked early for the remainder of the day. Minibuses to and from Georgetown and around Linden also was hard to come by as most operators switched off their engines.
When they reached the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge across the Demerara River, several elderly women said they were taking a rest, resulting in the demonstrators remaining there for a considerable length of time. The bridge is a major thoroughfare for passengers and cargo heading into interior mining districts and communities as far away as Lethem in southern Guyana.
Residents and members of the business community say they cannot afford to pay more for electricity because of extreme poverty and high unemployment.
Senior Vice President of the Linden Chamber of Industry Commerce and Development (LCICD), Noland Walton has said that his organization and other interest groups have prepared a briefing document on the impacts of the tariff hike to present to President Donald Ramotar.
Walton says the Guyanese leader has signaled his interest in meeting with representatives of Linden to discuss their grievance.
Government has cut the nearly GUY$3 billion subsidy to the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI) by at least GUY$1 billion this year. That is part of efforts to wean the community off the subsidy and integrate Linden with the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
Bauxite pensioners would no longer be given 300 KWh free electricity but will be provided 50 KWh free and told to pay for the remainder at existing rates for other civilians.
Government has called on Lindeners, who are accustomed to burning electricity all day and whose appliances including stoves are all electrical, to conserve on electricity.
Demerara Waves Online News was told that one major household store in Linden has sold out all its cooking gas stoves since the introduction of the rate hike from July 1.
Previously, residents said it was cheaper to cook with electricity than cooking gas.
Businesses, including the post office, did not open Wednesday. Privately-owned boats across the Demerara River docked early for the remainder of the day. Minibuses to and from Georgetown and around Linden also was hard to come by as most operators switched off their engines.
When they reached the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge across the Demerara River, several elderly women said they were taking a rest, resulting in the demonstrators remaining there for a considerable length of time. The bridge is a major thoroughfare for passengers and cargo heading into interior mining districts and communities as far away as Lethem in southern Guyana.
Residents and members of the business community say they cannot afford to pay more for electricity because of extreme poverty and high unemployment.
Senior Vice President of the Linden Chamber of Industry Commerce and Development (LCICD), Noland Walton has said that his organization and other interest groups have prepared a briefing document on the impacts of the tariff hike to present to President Donald Ramotar.
Walton says the Guyanese leader has signaled his interest in meeting with representatives of Linden to discuss their grievance.
Government has cut the nearly GUY$3 billion subsidy to the Linden Electricity Company Incorporated (LECI) by at least GUY$1 billion this year. That is part of efforts to wean the community off the subsidy and integrate Linden with the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
Bauxite pensioners would no longer be given 300 KWh free electricity but will be provided 50 KWh free and told to pay for the remainder at existing rates for other civilians.
Government has called on Lindeners, who are accustomed to burning electricity all day and whose appliances including stoves are all electrical, to conserve on electricity.
Demerara Waves Online News was told that one major household store in Linden has sold out all its cooking gas stoves since the introduction of the rate hike from July 1.
Previously, residents said it was cheaper to cook with electricity than cooking gas.
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