Leonardo Blair and Adrian Frater, Staff Reporters
Citizens demonstrating yesterday against the recent increase granted to the Jamaica Public Service Company at its Knutsford Boulevard head office in New Kingston. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ABOUT FIFTY angry people led by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) protested what they described as "unconscionable" rate increases by the Jamaica Public Service Company's (JPS) at the company's head office along Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston yesterday.
Another demonstration of similar size also took place outside the JPS office in Bay West Plaza, Montego Bay yesterday.
"This latest increase in light bill is not justified," said Josephine Smith, a protester. "JPS made $500 million in profit in just three months, yet the wicked OUR has still chosen to side with them."
Clive Mullings, Opposition spokesman on energy, who headed the Kingston protest, claimed Jamaica was being used as a 'cash cow' to offset tumbling losses incurred by JPS' bankrupt US-based parent company Mirant Corporation.
Yesterday he encouraged affected JPS customers to withhold payment of their energy bills until a reasonable investigation is launched into the billing irregularities .
TIME FOR CONSUMER ACTION
"It is time for consumer action; there must be a paradigm shift," said Mr. Mullings. "We are the cash cow and that is why we need an investigation carried out on the billing input of the JPS because of the number of helter-skelter bills that are being sent out there."
However, JPS spokesperson Winsome Callum warned that if citizens refused to pay their energy bills on time the power supply will be cut.
"Your bill needs to be paid when it is due. The company does disconnect and we withdraw service when the bill is not paid," she said during a press conference at the company's New Kingston office.
Callum, the corporate communications manager for the light and power company, explained that the cost of oil has been the major factor behind the increases. She said the company has been very transparent in its dealings with the public, which is part of the reason it has come under such fire.
Although the number of protesters was small in Kingston, passing motorists honked their horns in approval and wary police officers monitored the peaceful demonstration.
In Montego Bay, while passers-by were generally sympathetic to the cause of the demonstrators, some were quite critical of their seeming lack of organisation.
"This look more like a political thing than a real protest," said a man, who asked not to be identified. "I would like to see the entire country shut down like when Mr. Azan was killed. All Jamaica need to make their voices heard on this issue."
On Wednesday the Office of Utility Regulations (OUR) authorised the utility company to reclaim from consumers $458 million of a $1.5 billion hurricane damage claim. This will represent a 0.5 increase in bills, which is in addition to a 3.5 increase to take effect next month.
