THE EDITOR, Sir:
I NOTE the recent seven per cent increase which the OUR has approved for the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to recover over $457 million from Jamaicans over a two-year period.
I cannot understand why a privately held company, having failed to insure its transmission lines properly and other distribution systems, should be able to just apply and receive an increase in rates.
Part of being a proactive manager is to understand the inherent risk that is involved in running that business and to take the necessary steps to protect the business against those risks.
The JPS management failed to do that and is now asking the Jamaican consumer to pay for an error of judgement on their part.
So what happens after the JPS has recovered the $457 million from the financially-pressed Jamaican people over the stipulated two-year period? Will they now remove this seven per cent 'tax'?
What this ruling has effectively done is to open the gateway for other companies who simply fail to insure their business to save money, simply to pass on the cost of hurricane or other natural hazards to the consumers. It is indeed another sad day for Jamaica.
I am, etc.,
JOHN WILLIAMS
jotex9@hotmail.com
Birdrock, Basseterre
St Kitts
