Dionne Rose & Yahneake Sterling, Staff ReportersA ROW has developed between the Opposition and the Government over the distribution of energy-saving light bulbs from Cuba.
Addressing Senator Kern Spencer's responses to questions tabled in the Senate, Opposition Senator Dr. Christopher Tufton yesterday accused the Government of distributing the bulbs on a political basis.
He said that, in the governing People's National Party's (PNP) North East St. Elizabeth
constituency the current candidate, Senator Spencer, who
is also the State Minister
for Energy, had distributed brochures on the programme which also depict his photograph.
"I want to know how the method of distribution is going to be dealt with to ensure that it is not dealt with in a way that is partisan, that is the only question I am asking," Dr. Tufton said.
NO POLITICAL MOTIVATION
But Senator Spencer rejected suggestions that the distribution of the bulbs might have been politically motivated.
"You are going to see some more pictures, Chris, in the other constituencies setting out and explaining the programme from the Minister of State in-charge of the programme (myself) as well," he said. "This is a programme that we are not going to yield on, it is going to mean significant benefits for the poor people, especially of this country, and we are going to implement it without any sort of political interference."
He further disclosed that a team of volunteers and Cuban social workers were distributing the four million energy-saving fluorescent bulbs.
According to Senator Spencer, so far 40,000 fluorescent bulbs have been distributed in the constituencies of East Kingston and Port Royal and another 43,446 in East Rural St. Andrew.
On Thursday the junior energy minister told The Gleaner bulbs would be distributed to some 7,000 homes in four constituencies early next week.
The constituencies include South West St. Elizabeth, North East St. Elizabeth, South West St. Andrew and Eastern Portland.
Senator Spencer said the 250,000 energy-saving light bulbs would be transported to the constituencies over the weekend in preparation for the arrival of 100 Cuban technicians.
The four million bulbs are
valued at $2 billion.
