Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter
The Government's $10 million audit into the Jamaica Public Service Company's billing system is scheduled to get under way next month, according to David Geddes, director of consumer and public affairs at the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR).
JPS billing SYSTEMS
Audits into the JPS billing system have been delayed twice, as both the power company and the auditing firm Pricewater-houseCoopers have sighted several concerns.
Initially, the audit experie-nced a setback as JPS had indicated that it wanted
to avoid confidential com-mercial information being made public. The second delay
came when the Government- commissioned auditing firm experienced difficulties con-firming overseas experts to assist with the investigations.
"The obstacle that JPS placed in the whole system derailed that schedule badly and now we have tried to bring it back on stream," Mr. Geddes told The Gleaner.
He pointed out that the possible sale of the power company, will not affect the audit as the OUR regulates the JPS, not the Government or Mirant Corporation. The main purpose of the audit, he said, is to ensure accuracy of the billing process and to make allowances for corrections in case of error and to ensure that the right information is posted to customers' accounts.
EXCESSIVELY HIGH BILLS
An audit into the billing system of JPS was ordered by the OUR following reports from consumers that they had received excessively high electricity bills in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Meanwhile, Mr. Geddes noted that the OUR's investigations into the July 15 islandwide blackout should be completed by the end of this week.
