ABSTRACT
The privatisation of the Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC) was announced in 1996 in keeping with the Privatisation Policy Framework Paper (PPFP). The Bid Review Committee which comprised only office-holders within the government with the Head of the Privatisation Unit as Chairman was also a concern. The GEC was privatised on the basis of guarantees by the government with respect to rate of return and a management contract in exchange for capital infusion that would address badly-needed service improvement, reduce high system losses, and expand service at the national level. The government entered into negotiation with Sask Power Commercial of Canada, the bidder who was closest to meeting the government's selection criteria as provided for in the PPFP. The government relied on the 'Quadripartite Agreement' with the 'social partners' – trade unions and Consumer Advisory Bureau – executed in December 1998 as evidencing public participation.
