For scores of residents of New Providence, the hellish reality of chronic electricity outages and blackouts continues, with no end in sight. Last weekend was a nightmare for many with the lights going off multiple times each day, and the week ahead a continuation of much of the same.

BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller announced that there would be load-shedding for the rest of this week. The rolling reasons for the rolling blackouts continue. Given the dysfunction and disorganization and tunnel vision of the Christie administration on energy reform, Bahamians should not expect for the foreseeable future any light at the end of the very dark tunnel in which we are stuck.

Inexplicably, some residents experienced no outages over the weekend, while others bore the brunt of the cuts. BEC might wish to explain this anomaly which seems particularly uneven and unfair. Some reported electricity going off four, five or six times in a single day. Some experienced power outages four times in a single hour. Others were without power for up to nearly 12 hours.

With summer fast approaching temperatures have climbed into the 90s during the day and approaching 80 degrees at night. Thousands are boiling mad, hot as hell and sweltering with frustration.

Already deeply worried about crime, many are even more afraid of crimes of opportunity including robberies, home invasions or perhaps worse. Some home security systems have gone off because of extended outages. The cuts pose health risks for many who are unwell. With many traffic lights off there has been chaos on roadways.

Parents with small children are beside themselves. With power surges, appliances and various electrical devices are being ruined. There is the risk of food spoiling and with the high cost of food this is something that many can ill-afford. Others with electrical stoves are unable to cook.

Upending Shakespeare's Richard III, the Christie administration is creating a cycle of discontent not just of summer but of winter, spring, summer and fall.

The fallout for businesses is severe. Those with generators see escalating costs and reduced revenue. Those without are turning away customers. Small businesses are particularly hard hit. The economic costs of the blackouts are high on top of the burden that is VAT for households and businesses.

Miserable

We are only at the beginning of May. Leslie Miller warned residents of New Providence that we are in for a "long, hot, rough" summer and that "these engines are not reliable and because of this it is going to be a rough, miserable summer if something is not done soon".

Sadly, "soon" is not a term with which Prime Minister Perry Christie is well acquainted.The longstanding problems at BEC have deteriorated significantly over the past few years, fueled by the chronic incompetence and indecisiveness of Christie.

Even by the prime minister's poor standard of governance, the delay in implementing a final decision on BEC seems inexplicable. In the absence of a credible reason for the delay, rumors are beginning to fly as to why a decision has taken so long. Miller has expressed frustration and officials at the Ministry of Works are reportedly also frustrated.

Notably, in speaking to a talk show radio host last August, Miller noted of the reforms at BEC: "The BEC board has had no input. It is being run strictly by the Office of the Prime Minister. I don't know what the government wants to do... " If this is the case it is quite bizarre that the executive chairman of the corporation has been largely side-stepped in the negotiations.

The largely unexplained delays can be laid squarely at Christie's feet. Why exactly is the prime minister waiting so long to make a decision even as Bahamians continue to suffer? Both the media and the official opposition should aggressively pursue this line of inquiry.

As with so many other issues, such as the $20 million in untendered contracts at BAMSI and the refusal still to provide all of the information on these contracts, the secret and protracted negotiations over energy reform are deeply worrying.

With this amount of money at stake it is essential that Bahamians are given more details. We should not forget that this is the same PLP which hid critical details in the phantom Bluewater deal so that certain individuals could make windfall profits in the privatization of BTC.

When it comes to privatizing or providing contracts relative of public utilities, including functions such as water and sewerage, it is important to follow the money and see if certain political apparatchiks and cronies are benefitting at the expense of the public.

Exasperation
The exasperation of the business community of the Christie administration's laggard approach to energy reform was summed up in the public and scathing rebuke by Baha Mar Chairman Sarkis Izmirlian.

The Chamber of Commerce CEO recently warned that the high cost of energy is deterring foreign investors. In this journal on Tuesday Edison Sumner further "urged the government to take immediate action to reform the country's power sector, arguing that the current workplace conditions for many Bahamians are borderline 'inhumane' as the summer approaches".

Yet Christie dithers and dawdles, with endless delays. As time is money, the delays are costing the country dearly and are leading to slower economic growth and lost productivity.

The cosseted and pampered prime minister who moves from one air-conditioned setting to the next seems oblivious and disconnected from the daily struggles of Bahamians.

Christie has the great fortune, not enjoyed by most, of having a residential generator and solar power. Bahamians do not begrudge for security and other reasons the head of government enjoying uninterrupted electrical supply. But many are spitting mad that his chronic dithering has helped to plunge most of us into extended periods of darkness and misery since he took office three long years ago which is beginning to feel like an eternity.

The prime minister first announced reform plans in August 2013 promising that contracts would be signed at the end of that year. The deadline came and went, as is par for the course with Christie.

According to The Tribune, last December, 16 months later, Philip Brave Davis, minister with responsibility for BEC, announced that the decision to split the functions of BEC into two companies was being abandoned.

Davis has repeatedly advised that the process for reforming BEC was nearing completion. At the end of January of this year Davis indicated, according to one of the dailies, that: "The government has decided to defer the announcement of the strategic partner for the Bahamas Electricity Corporation until after interventions and discussions coming out of an energy security summit in Washington, D.C." This seemed like another delay tactic. Tomorrow is the beginning of May, nearly two months after Christie returned from the summit. Last week Royston Jones reported in this journal: "More than a month has passed since Prime Minister Perry Christie said he will name the company chosen to manage BEC in the 'shortest time possible'."

Worried
Given his track record of glacial decision making, whenever Bahamians hear this from Christie, they should be very worried. We have seen this song and dance before.

The Guardian reported: "Acknowledging the 'ball is in my court', Christie told the media, 'With respect to moving forward, the government of The Bahamas will be shortly in a position to receive - they have had an oral submission from me - the recommendation that I have made as a follow-up to the recommendation of the taskforce."

Here we go with another round of headache-inducing Christie circumlocution that tells us very little, except to expect more dithering, more delay, more gobbledygook, more excuses and more promises that action will shortly come.

As the Cabinet has already agreed a decision on this matter, why does Christie have no sense of urgency? His inaction is beyond curious. He just doesn't seem to care or give a damn. He long ago lost touch with reality and the Bahamian people. Caesar Christie fiddles while New Providence is continuously plunged into darkness.

What can we expect? More talk from Christie and a blisteringly hot and likely miserable summer. Suggestions to residents of New Providence: Stock up on batteries, candles, coolers, nonperishable foods, water and other necessities.

The one saving grace is that with the electricity and television off we won't have to listen as much to Christie's excuses and his delusional optimism.

ofrontporchguardian@gmail.com, www.bahamapundit.com.

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