Nassau, Bahamas: As BEC consumers lined up at its head office in Big Pond, across the sound system played Ronnie Butler’s “You gat bad ways and ya bad pay…”. Citizens on the line said not a word. One by one persons cued meandering into the foyer like a funeral procession. Some screamed when the reach the dark teller booth as if they saw a dead body. But no, it was their high electricity bill.
Meanwhile inside the tellers booth at BEC a sole radio rung out the song of Terez Hepburn’s “JACKPOT!” It was like a party going on inside as the tellers swayed from side to side like a Baptist choir as they cashed in on a new tax imposed by BEC on those hardworking consumers stressed out at the window.
As if they had not placed enough HELL on the working poor already in this country, the Ingraham government now seeks to inflict more hardship on consumers of BEC. Bahamas Press has learned that BEC has now quietly imposed a ‘LATE PAYMENT FREE CHARGE’ to its over 50,000 electricity consumers.
Bahamas Press announced on July 30th how a Mass Disconnection exercises by BEC was being carried out on thousands of homeowners here in the capital. When we revealed that BREAKING STORY some scoffed our revelations, concluding that we were yet again grasping for straws (https://www.bahamaspress.com/?p=1941).
But after the Cabinet had approved the mass disconnection exercise, Hubert Ingraham stood on the floor of the House months later in an about-face move, taunting his RELIEF PACKAGE’ for BEC consumers. And ordered BEC to reverse the decision he made in the Cabinet room.
“I can’t believe these people. Why would they want us, who are now struggling to pay our bills, be forced to pay a late fee, when BEC never issue bills early in the first place?” one angry consumer said as he left the pay centre.
“I mean every time ya try get ahead, someone trying to rob and plunder the last dollar ya make! I CRY SHAME ON INGRAHAM DEM DOING THIS TO POOR PEOPLE!”
Bahamas Press has learned that the LATE FEE CHARGE has been added for a while now according to our deep-throat at the corporation. However many persons are still not aware of the charge on their billings. A section on the bill titled “Other Adjustment” provides a space for that charge to be imposed, however on computers at the corporation the area titled, ‘delinquent fees’ log the charge to BEC consumers for late payments.
It also appears that the fee is not a fixed fee to consumers as one month differs from another. Another consumer said, “You mean to tell me they charging me for the late bill they send me? Boy dese some crooks ech?”
Once again the corporation lay silent over the issue, but yet once again your Bahamas Press has the story. NOW WATCH HOW THEM WUTLESS MEDIA PEOPLE TRY SPIN THIS STORY!
I am always surprised at people who complain when a government corporation is actually trying to stay afloat and make a profit.
We can not have it both ways – complain with one mouth that Bahamasair is a money pit and a burden to taxpayers and with the same mouth complain that NIB and BEC have actually enacted sound business strategies to ensure that their revenue continues. I congratulate NIB and BEC for their excellent stance on pathological non-bill paying Bahamians.
We have evolved into a spoilt group of people who look for free things in everything. BEC bills have gone down extraordinarily and what does my neighbour do, turn on his big central AC since last month to bring the bill right back up again, and then say they broke.
Joe Blow: This blog needs persons like yourselves who are always trying to see things in a positive light and who is not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Please continue being Joe Blow. Like the song say, “don’t go changing, I love you just the way you are”
Media: You think we could get that video or song for this weekend entertainment? I would really like to dedicate that to Joe Blow.
Kim: I am a semi- retired business person. Never worked for the government. Am not a political animal at all. It has been suggested that I am C.A.Smith, Hubert Ingraham, John Marquis and now possibly Carl Bethel. Sorry to disappoint but I am only one of the “pearls” who has had interesting and varied experiences in life. Love to study people. Keep a positive outlook. Loyal to my country. Read a lot. Enjoy blogging on this site. And happy to be making friends with persons like you. I have learned as much from you as I hope you have learned from me. We can change this nation for the better if we work together. “If time and space have any purpose, I shall belong to it”.
Joe Blow you certainly do be in the know. You seem to know how everything functions in this country. Sometimes, I wonder what type of work you do; I really believe you are one of those FNM politicians (Carl Bethel…lol….) . Anyway, I am very glad that you are the kind of person that enjoys sharing knowledge with others. So many things that you have shared with us have been very helpful to me personal. I had no idea that they were asking Business Owners to provide evidences showing that they are in good standing with NIB before they can renew their licenses, being a business owner this bit of information is very helpful to me, not that I don’t make my contributions…lol… I really hope they are doing this across the board.
Before imposing a late fee, for which I personally have no objection, we should be assured that both that Corporation and the Post Office will make the effort to get our billing to us on time. Secondly, I suggest that there be a small discount for every consumer who pays their bill before the due date.( the Corp. might even consider giving one free energy saving bulb to those who pay, on time ,at the teller’s cage ) Thirdly, should we all not take some responsibility here? We all know when our bill is due and it usually is close to the same amount every month, and it is not difficult to phone and find out what it will be and lodge a complaint each time one does not receive the billing on time. I am in the habit of either writing a message on my cheque that the billing had not yet arrived or including a not too friendly note decrying the inefficiency or incompetency of those responsible at the Corp. Media: Are you aware that businesses now must obtain a letter from NIB indicating that they are in good standing before they can renew their business licence? While I view this as a good move, wouldn’t it be more expedient if they sent that message out to everyone involved prior to trying to renew, only to be told they must go to NIB and obtain the letter that they are in good-standing and then return? Where is the forethought here? Who are they working for?
Comments are closed.