Brassington $4M….”Dindyal at that point in time

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– Dr Luncheon says govt. looking to formalize salaries  “Strange enough they aren’t paid,” was the assertion of Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, on Wednesday last, when responding to queries related to who pays the Board of Directors of Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL).According to Dr Luncheon, each of the board members functions ‘pro bono.’GPL’s CEO, Bharat DindyalThe Board of Directors of the power company, according to its 2011 Annual Report, constitutes its Chairman Winston Brassington, Carvil Duncan, Narvon Persaud, Desmond Mohamed, Mahender Sharma and Komal Ramnauth.Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPL, Bharat Dindyal, had defended the salaries paid to the ‘Board of Directors,’ but days later recanted his position, saying “the Directors I had referred to in the interview were Divisional Directors (Employees of the GPL Inc.) and not Directors of the Board.”This publication in an exclusive interview, had asked Dindyal: “There is a figure, or there is a notion that the Board of Directors receive, as the AFC likes to say, super salaries, Brassington $4M….”Dindyal at that point in time, interjected and sought to defend the fact that the “Board of Directors” as had been referred to specifically by the KN reporter, would demand ‘market rates for their services.’That article was published on June 16, with Dindyal responding in a letter on Tuesday last and published in Wednesday’s edition, where he said that he was referring to the Divisional Directors and not the Directors on the Board.He indicated also that “I can confirm that neither the Chairman of the Board of Directors nor any other member of the Board is paid for services rendered to GPL Inc.”Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Luncheon told media operatives yesterday, during his post Cabinet press briefing that while the Directors are not provided with a salary or stipend, the administration is looking to change this situation.Dr Luncheon told media operatives, “I must admit that it is not strange when one considers that many Boards are similarly treated that their services are rendered pro bono.”He said that this, however, will not continue.According to Luncheon, it is not an ideal circumstance, “that is being brought to bear on the remuneration for boards.”He said as a result Cabinet embarked, during the early part of this year, on a comprehensive review of Director’s fee.This review according to Dr Luncheon has been completed. He indicated also that the administration by month-end, will be appointing a new Board of Directors across the gamut of state enterprises, “and their levels of remuneration would be identified.”Dr Luncheon said it is anticipated that the Directors to be appointed at GPL and those that are similarly serving on a pro bono status, would in the new dispensation acquire benefits/stipends as other board members would.Ultimate solutionDr Luncheon also addressed the state of play regarding the halting of the proposed tariff increase and the withheld $5.2B subsidy/capital transfer to the power company.According to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, the ultimate solution would be a return to engaging the Opposition, “in a parliamentary intervention.”He said that there have been disingenuous arguments proffered, “about there being some other cause for the situation (with the power company).” He suggested that he would be more inclined towards the conventional and see the ultimate solution as having a link to the fundamental cause.Dr Luncheon said that President Donald Ramotar’s instruction to GPL points to a strong indication by the administration that “something may yet be done…Obviously it will have to be done at the level of Parliament.”The government spokesperson used the opportunity to disclose that engagements have been made with the Parliamentary Opposition, “and would have to continue…We all have identified what is the ultimate cause of the situation and we will have to go back to the level of the Parliamentary Opposition and sort out this matter.”