The Chief Executive Office of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) Dr. Richard Van West Charles has said that he will not be distracted by the resistance that he is being met with in transforming the quality of service being offered by the state owned company.
The Board of the Guyana Water Incorporated recently decided to open an investigation into a series of complaints against Dr. Van West Charles.
But the CEO said he remains focused on delivering quality service to the population.
“I will not be distracted by the voices in the press. I come with experience having worked nationally and internationally and change always brings storming and forming. One would expect rumbling,” he said.
A GWI official close to the board had revealed to News Source that a number of managers themselves have provided official complaints to the board about Dr. Van West Charles and his way of running the company.
The CEO conveyed the impression on Wednesday that he still enjoyed the support and confidence of GWI’s management.
“These are processes that we have to work through. The change is not in the interest of management or board but in the interest of the service we provide to the population,” he added.
Among the complaints is that he breached the company’s human resources policy and usurped the powers of the Board by hiring his friends and associates under consultancies at GWI and on the GWI employment roll.
Some managers are concerned that the recently hired persons are being paid super salaries.
There is also the concern that the CEO may have usurped the power of the Board Tender Committee by sole sourcing procurement of work to another person that he may be familiar with.
The CEO, who the Board refused to send on administrative leave while the probe was ongoing, insisted that his priority was improving the quality of water provided to citizens and reducing the burden of water borne diseases.
The Stabroek News reported on Wednesday that the Chairman of the GWI board, might resign over disagreements with the CEO.
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