SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:
THE JAMAICA Public Service Company came under fire for its tardiness in service delivery in St. Catherine at Thursday's sitting of the St. Catherine Parish Council.
Several Councillors blasted the JPSCo for being unprofessional, tardy and taking taxpayers' money while providing inferior service to customers. The Councillors said the situation must end, or serious problems could develop in St. Catherine between the company and its customers.
Councillor Norman Scott said that the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) needed to rethink the way it does business and provide the type of service that is relevant to a changing community. He noted that it was a total shame for the company to be providing inferior service to the public, while making good of taxpayers money.
Councillor Anthony Wint, of the Hellshire division, questioned whether or not the JPSCo could not put in place a system which would allow them to know when there is no service in a particular area, or where there are no lamps working.
INFORMATION
He said that Councillors have to be doing the company's job, by walking around at nights to see which lamps were not working to provide the company with information. He said in a time when the entire world was computer and technology driven, the company should be able to put in place a system to allow staff or contractors to know the areas without service from the comfort of their offices.
It was like a scratched record, as several Councillors blasted the poor service customers receive when they go to do business at the Spanish Town office of the utility company.
Councillor Royston Wilson of the Old Harbour North division did not mince words when he spoke of his ordeal at the office.
"I am a Councillor, I represent the people and I go to the office to do the people's business and when I hear the secretary asking the security why you let him in, this is total disrespect," the Councillor said.
The Council unanimously accepted a resolution passed by Councillor George Lee of the Greater Portmore North division calling for the return of the utility business office to Portmore.
According to the resolution, the recent fire at the Portmore Mall had forced several businesses to relocate, including the JPSCo office, causing great hardship for customers who have to travel to Spanish Town to deal with their transactions. The shops are now completed and the power company has taken a decision to sell its office space which served over 50,000 customers in Portmore. Deputy Mayor Denise Daley, who also endorsed the resolution, asked that it include the Linstead utility office, which is also closed.
