General contractor, MAN Diesel engineering firm, Carlos Escobar Bruno explains to Minister of State for Public Utilities, the Hon. Phenton Neymour what is happening at the site of the Wilson City Power Plant being constructed in Abaco. [File Photo]
Nassau, Bahamas — We here at BP are monitoring the propsed rate increase this summer by BEC. We are hearing that the IDB is back in town creating this situation. We go back to the period 1989- 1993 when BEC had an average rate increase of 5.2% per annum.
During this period, 1989-1993, BEC had a total rate increase of 26.2%, this was put on the backs of poor Bahamians. This was done on the recommendation of the IDB. These people come here to make money on the backs of poor working folks.
What is more disturbing, is the fact that only poor small customers of BEC have their lights turned off. BEC earns more than 500 million in revenue and has over 125million in non technical and technical losses, what is going on?, who is tiefing electricity from BEC?, What is BEC DOING ABOUT IT?
We are told that BEC has a whole lot of commercial clients that do not pay and are stealing electricity from the Corporation. Why turn off Mama light in Baintown and the rich merchant class are allowed to steal and not pay for it?.
We are further advised, that the household receivables represent less than 5% of what is owed to BEC. This means that 95% of the monies owed to BEC are owed by businesses that are allowed to continue to have their lights on while the rest of us have to suffer. This is dead wrong and we call on the Govt to have BEC collect the monies owed by these businesses and there would be no need to increase the rates on the backs of poor working people.
The same way businesses were dragged before the courts by NIB, should be the same way BEC operate so that monies owed are paid AND THOSE STEALING ELECTRICITY should be sent up to HM Prison at Foxhill.
We need change in this Country and we need it soon.
BP, other than government buildings, the largest consumers of electricity are the hotels and then the big food store chains. Like you said, we will never see any of these companies hauled before the courts or have their power shut off.
I bet we would be surprised to find out how much these companies owe BEC!
Fact of the matter, in the Bahamas, justice is selective. The poor get shafted and the rich get off scott free!
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