Vaz welcomes $50m JPS bill reprieve for St. Elizabeth customers, but wants more

   

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has commended the Jamaica Public Service Company for its decision to provide $50 million towards the electricity bills of approximately 10,000 customers in St. Elizabeth who are still without electricity.

 

JPS says each customer will receive $5,000 credit towards their light bills.

 

But while he sought to "give credit where it is due", Mr. Vaz said more assistance should be given to the frustrated customers. 

 

"I still believe that based on the length of time that they have taken to restore other areas, there should be some concession and some compassion to them, whether in terms of discounts, which I know they are doing, but also payment plans. A lot of people have been completely wiped out based on the length of time for restoration, and therefore we have to make sure and work with them so that they can get back on their feet," he argued in an interview with Radio Jamaica News. 

 

Speaking in Malvern, St. Elizabeth on Thursday morning, JPS President Hugh Grant announced that the company will also host back to school treats in the parish as well as partner with hardware stores to provide discounts to customers. 

 

The Energy Minister, in the meantime, said the government will continue to exert pressure on the light and power company to fulfill its self-imposed timeline to have full restoration to St. Elizabeth by the end of the month.

 

"I'm still appealing to the JPS and the OUR [for] a complete, comprehensive publication of the customers that remain out of electricity, with a schedule to show when will they get back their light, between now and the 31st [of August], so they can plan their business and plan their life," he stressed. 

 

Mr. Vaz said he is disappointed that thousands of JPS customers remain without power more than six weeks after Hurricane Beryl.

 

He contended that with about 16,000 customers yet to receive electricity across the country, the pace of work by the power company is "not good enough". 

 

In addition to St. Elizabeth, some JPS customers in St. Mary, Clarendon and  Manchester are still without electricity.