Energy Minister rejects JPS' three-week timeline for power restoration

By Clinton McGregor    

 

The Jamaica Public Service Company says it will take another three weeks before power is restored to several communities in rural Jamaica following the damage to its system by Hurricane Beryl.

 

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz says this was communicated by JPS during a meeting with the management of the company on Friday.

 

But Mr. Vaz says he rejected the timeline given by JPS and called for the company to find and deploy more resources to ease the discomfort of thousand of residents who have been in darkness since the hurricane on July 3.

 

"They are giving me timelines that will take us from the end of July to the 12th of August for certain parishes. I've indicated to them that that is not acceptable and that we have to find ways to make up for the lost time and obviously increase the workforce. And that would mean additional external linesmen; it would mean, on my recommendation, the revision of current rates that are being paid to the contractors and getting new contractors who are not willing to work for the rates that are being offered by JPS to come on track."

 

"So in essense, I have told them that they need to find a way to incentivise the workers and the contractors so that we can get this over and complete in the shortest possible time. Three weeks with another three weeks in some areas is too much," the minister bemoaned. 

 

Mr. Vaz said he has requested a new timeline from JPS and warned that the continued delay in the restoration exercise will have a negative effect on farming communities now without water. 

 

"That there is still a lot of work to be done as it relates to the restoration of NWC pumps, national irrigation pumps for the farmers, and last but not least, the several communities in all parishes that remain without electricity."

 

He said he expects a revised report from JPS to present to Cabinet on Monday.