AS AN ardent reader and a dedicated subscriber to my inseparable "Gleaner", I found the story on the front page of the issue dated February 26, 2002, "Public to Foot Street Lighting Bill". A paragraph quoted the Prime Minister as saying "there are services that must be paid for, this is one service that has to be paid for."
As someone who earnestly believes in getting the facts, I am more than astonished to be made to understand that we the taxpayers have been getting away without paying for "electricity" over time. It was my knowledge that during the period when I was chairman and Mayor of the St. Mary Parish Council, and subsequent to this outburst that this services "must be paid for", that this service had been paid for from the "Consolidated Fund" of Jamaica meaning the fund as prescribed under the (Constitution) Order in Council 1962 into which all, public revenues are paid..
Paragraph 119 goes on to say, the public debt of Jamaica is hereby charged on the consolidated fund. The question I would like answered, Mr. Editor is how can a government operating in the interest of a country, authorise its citizenry to pay to a private corporation, "Mirant", a "Cess" or a Tax? I go further to ask: "Is the Jamaica Public Service Company acting as an agent for the divested part of approximately 80 per cent of the company?"
It must be forcefully brought to the attention of all and sundry that we the taxpayers of this country have never ever reneged on our light bill, but through the Ministries of Finance and Local Government, they have racked up over 3/4 billion dollars owing to whom? J.P.S. or Mirant Corporation or both.
