Exploiting inner cities with 'power'

WHEN WESTERN St Andrew Member of Parliament Anthony Hylton tabled a motion in April for the House of Representatives to direct an enquiry in the way certain Jamaica Public Service (JPS) customers are billed, we thought great urgency would have been applied to the matter.

Hylton, among other things, had asked the House to "direct an investigation into the manner and method of the implementation of the Residential Automated Metering Infrastructure (RAMI) programme, and examine alternative approaches to ensure access to reliable, safe and affordable electricity for the working poor, pensioners, and the unemployed throughout Jamaica, and, in particular, the inner-city communities".

He also said "given the increasing unaffordability of electricity by the persons so affected, and the increased security and health risk, that the matter be debated as a matter of urgency, and that the Committee on Economy and Production be mandated to investigate the matter forthwith".

It has been nearly four months since the motion was tabled in the House, and if the manner in which private members' motions are dealt with is anything to go by, the issue may not be debated any time soon.

The Gavel, however, would urge Andrew Holness, the leader of government business in the House, to give due consideration to this motion.

Too silent, too long

There are too many stories of residents in inner-city communities complaining of exorbitant JPS bills. There are too many stories of people who claim to have few pieces of appliances in their homes, being asked to pay upwards of $10,000 for usage.

Sadly, too many influential people in the society have been silent on this issue.

It appears that many Jamaicans are now looking on with glee saying it is high time these inner-city residents pay for their electricity. They have come to this position based on the fact that many of these inner-city residents used electricity for years without paying for it, forcing other JPS customers to carry their burden.

But, it cannot be right for the JPS to send bills to customers without the customers having the benefit of metres to check their usage. The JPS, under this tamper-proof, anti-theft system, reads the metres from a remote location and then sends a bill to the customers. Also, we believe it is a breach of the principle of natural justice for the JPS to charge people for electricity they are alleged to have stolen in the past.

At the very least, a court should make a determination as to whether a current customer was in fact stealing electricity and determine the conditions under which that power is to be paid for.

Double charge

We are also mindful that paying customers of the JPS were the ones paying for the fuel charge for those who stole electricity. With inner-city residents now being charged for back consumption, it appears the JPS would be double charging for such power, especially since no rebate is being given to the consumers who were being charged for the consumption of stolen electricity.

The Gavel is not for one moment advocating that these people in the inner city be given the chance to live without paying electricity bills, but they should be able to check if they are being billed for actual usage.

It is for this reason that we believe the Parliament should find it important to direct a special investigation into the way the JPS is implementing this programme.

Socialist stench

The Gavel, meanwhile, is baffled as to what Hylton actually means when he said the House should also consider ways to ensure access to reliable, safe and affordable electricity for the working poor, pensioners, and the unemployed throughout Jamaica, and, in particular, the inner-city communities.

The tone of the suggestion put forward by Hylton carries with it the stench of socialist subsidy from the deepest pits. While we accept that electricity is an essential service, The Gavel would not support any move, outside of rural electrification, for the State to impose any burden on the taxpayer to provide electricity for others in the society.

The entire Jamaica is faced with bills we can't afford; it's time we all cut our suits according to our cloth. Every resident must do more to conserve and keep electricity bills low.

In the meantime, the Parliament should order that investigation to determine whether the JPS is unfairly sucking the lifeblood from those inner-city residents despite the fact that before the RAMI, many lived large and lived free by just throwing up wires on power lines.