Residents of the town of New Amsterdam in Region 6, Berbice, Guyana, South America are bemoaning their plight of having to join long lines to pay basic utility bills such as electricity and water.
This situation arose as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which forced bill payment locations to cut down on their working hours. This resulted in a buildup of persons at the bill payment locations trying to get their bills paid before the office closes again.
While many businesses in the town have been ordered to close, and many people are unable to work or find employment, there has been no relief from the utility giants such as GPL or GWI. Residents are ordered to pay their bills on time in order to avoid interruption of service – services that have become a necessity for life in modern times.
One resident noted that the commercial banks are assisting customers by deferring loans payment during the COVID-19 pandemic but express worry that the utility companies are not offering any sort of assistance during these trying times for the country.
In addition, many residents worry that the cluster of persons gathering at bill payment locations puts people at risk for contracting and spreading the coronavirus disease.
The residents are asking for the relevant authorities to step up and do something to mitigate this ongoing situation.
