Opposition Spokesman on Energy Phillip Paulwell - Gleaner file photo
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Phillip Paulwell
Opposition Spokesman on Energy Phillip Paulwell has joined the head of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) in expressing concern that Jamaica could soon be left scrambling for fuel as the Russian-Ukrainian war drags on.
On Thursday, President and CEO of the power company, Michel Gantois, warned that oil and gas suppliers could divert fuel to richer markets to the detriment of smaller ones, like Jamaica, should the war escalate or the European Union decide to suspend gas imports from Russia.
Commenting on the issue on Friday during an interview on Power Talk on Power 106, Mr. Paulwell said the JPS chief's statement is not scaremongering, but a real possibility.
"We know that the Americans now are utilising a lot of their reserves, about a million barrels a day. That can't happen forever, you know, and in fact, they’re going to want to build back their reserve. So, it is going to be a Titanic event emerging, what we call a perfect storm, where people are going to be in a mad scramble to find oil."
If such an event were to happen, Mr. Paulwell suggested "people might even try to hijack on the high seas oil destined for certain places" and in that scenario, Jamaica, at the bottom of the totem pole, is unlikely to survive.
Back to Venezuela?
According to opposition spokesman, Jamaica should begin making efforts to repair its relationship with Venezuela in order to reconstitute the Petrocaribe agreement and secure oil supplies.
But this might be difficult, he suggested, because of the Jamaican government has been "behaving so negatively towards the Venezuelan government".
Still, he noted that any effort to resume that relationship would require talks with the US given current sanctions on Venezuela.
Extend light bill concession
Mr. Paulwell also wants the government to extend its assistance with light bills to a year and increase the amount it covers.
Starting this month, the government will pay 20 per cent of the electricity costs for JPS customers who use less than 200 kilowatt hours for the month.
The assistance will be in place for four months.
But Mr. Paulwell argued that this is not enough, as electricity costs have surged more than 40 per cent in recent months. He urged the government to grant a concession in line with the recent increases, which he called horrendous and frightening.
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