Former Minister of State for the Environment Phenton Neymour yesterday slammed the government over what he called a complete lack of transparency and repeated delays over the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) restructuring.
Neymour said despite the government's promise to make public all details related to those plans, the government has failed to fulfill its promise and has ignored the repeated calls from the opposition for transparency.
"We believe that energy reform should be disclosed prior to the bidding for privatization, because this level of uncertainty creates a situation in which bidders may not give us the best price," he said in the parking lot of BEC's headquarters on Baillou Hill Road.
Since Prime Minister Perry Christie announced plans for companies to take over the management, power generation and transmission of BEC in August 2013, the deadline for the completion of that deal has been pushed back numerous times.
Christie originally said the contracts would be signed by the end of 2013.
Last November, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for BEC, said he expected the contracts to be signed in January 2014.
Since January, the finalization date has been pushed back several more times.
When asked about the process and when the contracts will be concluded, Davis has responded on more than one occasion "within two to three weeks".
Earlier this month, Davis defended delays in the restructuring process and said while Cabinet has had a "busy schedule" as the government is dealing with other "important issues", the overhaul of the energy sector will be advanced "hopefully within another two to three weeks".
Neymour said more consideration should be given to Bahamian companies, although Davis previously said no Bahamian companies placed bids.
"We feel that the sale of BEC's power generation should not be offered to one foreign entity, as it is not in the interest of the Bahamian people," he said.
According to Davis, three companies remain in the running to become part of the overhaul of BEC.
While those companies have not been made public, it has been confirmed that U.S.-based PowerSecure is among them.
Many have speculated that PowerSecure is the preferred company, as the firm was recently contracted to assist BEC troubleshoot infrastructural problems following an island-wide blackout.
Neymour said while the FNM supports BEC's restructuring, it cannot support the way the government is going about the process, which has left all Bahamians "in the dark".
"BEC must be reformed," he said. "The FNM government previously stated and is still on the position that BEC has to be privatized.
"We are also of the position that the existing legislation is inadequate. It is more than 60 years old and has to be reformed.
"The problem is it is very complex and it will affect every agency in this country."

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