Jamaican businesses buckling from power bills

| 31/07/2011

(Jamaica Gleaner): Despite a growing backlash from business operators and ordinary Jamaicans buckling under the pressure of soaring electricity charges, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says there is no immediate relief in sight. "There is no immediate solution to reducing the cost of electricity. I am very sad to say that," JPS president and CEO Damian Obiglio told a Gleaner Editors Forum, held at the newspaper's North Street offices on Thursday. Obiglio's comments came after Dr Rosalea Hamilton, the head of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Alliance – perhaps echoing the situation of most Jamaicans – revealed that her members are faced with monthly electricity bills that threaten their survival.

Hamilton, who also spoke at the Forum, said every month businesses are forced to make tough decisions whether to pay JPS, their bank, their employees or any other bills that are outstanding.

"If they don't pay JPS, they get cut off. And they wait every month until the problem accumulates and the bomb goes off and ultimately that business closes because they simply cannot afford the (electricity) bills," she said.

"This whole situation (to) our members feels like economic terrorism," she added.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    So imagine if they (in Jamaica) had to pay our CUC prices!!! That would start another war. I'd rather pay their light bill any day over the mortgage payment to CUC every month.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Maybe they need to change the name of the company if the public is not receving the service they desire?

    • B.B.L. Brown says:

      Many years ago when I was a youngster, when my father took a horse or cow to be bred, he would say it was being "serviced".  Perhaps that's where the company gets its name.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Cayman is fat getting there too. We need relief from CUC. They have been allowed to do this to us for too long.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Well they can't blame the PPM for that one.

  5. Southside says:

    But according to Mac having an oil refinerey like the one in Jamaica will cut our electricity bills???

    I'd hate to think that Mac just made that up with out doing any research what-so-ever! It would be totally out of character for our trusted leader to make something like that up now wouldn't it!?

     

  6. Anonymous says:

    Sounds familiar???

    Sounds familiar!!! 

    Same issues, different country but very close to home.

    • Anonymous says:

      YES, welcome to the Cayman Islands.

      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe this would be a good time for everyone to think about solar power?

        • JJTA says:

          The use of solar power should be encouraged. The purchase of PV panels should be without duty added because it will lighten the load, not only on the power system but also the individuals/families who decide to use it. The monopoly on electricity in Cayman is bad and it always has been. It is long overdue to encourage alternative energy in Cayman on a residential scale and with the use of incentives and the removal of duty taxes it would be feasible and practical except for the people for whom CUC is a cash cow and they will do anything possible to continue their grip on the "power of the power supply". There must be common access to this technology because with the cost of electricity in Cayman this has got to be one of the best places in the world to have it due only to the fact that conventional power is so high cost. The shareholders in CUC should not be benefitting over the rest of the country as a whole, especially with the dire economic circumstances so prevalent. Cayman is a country of monopolies and it is getting worse and not better, too much institutionalized greed. CUC stop making your stupid feel-good tv ads and give people a break on their bills because it is the customers who pay for those ads and you know it. Gas stations stop with your damn raffles, if you have twenty or whatever grand to give away then lower the price at the pump for everyone, you are fooling no-one. Why is it that common sense is such a foreign concept in Cayman? Could it be that greed is the overriding concern of all too many here? 

  7. Libertarian says:

    It is economic terrorism. People, need to understand that Jamaica is pretty much raided and sold out to big shots overseas. Most Jamaicans are being exploited; especially, young girls. If they don't get involved in a life of crime, it is for some greedy big shot that uses them as slaves. The only hope for many Jamaicans is to leave their own homeland and find somewhere else to make it in the world. It will soon happen to Cayman, you watch. You have so many people that want a piece of the pie and don't care what they do unto other to get.