Recent disclosures regarding the waste at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation should anger us all. Some staff members have taken home significantly more in overtime than they make in pay. This is wasteful. If there is that much overtime work to do, why not hire more staff?
To just give away the people's money to staff in this manner demonstrates contempt towards consumers who work hard to pay their BEC bills. Many struggle to keep the lights on. Many have not succeed in this regard and sit in darkness.
Now the BEC line staff employees through their union are threatening not to work any overtime for at least the next 30 days, no matter what occurs, in response to BEC Chairman Leslie Miller's allegation that some workers are abusing the corporation's overtime system. The overtime system is being abused. The only question worth debating is how to fix it and when will it be fixed. BEC is currently spending nearly $12 million per year on overtime.
Outside Cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said it makes more sense to increase staff at BEC than to continue the payment of excessive overtime.
"We have received a number of proposals some of which are based on a private company meeting the cost of generating the electricity and BEC distributing the electricity," Christie told reporters.
"In that sense they are saying it can become much more beneficial to the Bahamian public and to the investor community in our country if in fact we are able to effect efficiencies at the level of the generation of electricity."
Christie and his government must move fast on fixing BEC. It is a drag on the economy. Its costs are reflected in the cost of goods and services across our economy. When BEC is inefficient and wastes money and it then needs to raise rates to pay its bills, such increases function as tax hikes on us all.
If there are realistic proposals for private energy suppliers to come in and provide power for less than BEC provides it for, then we should seek to implement such credible solutions. BEC is not working and a culture of waste and dysfunction appears quite healthy there. This problem is fueled by political interference from our parties while they are in office.
The Ingraham administration had to stand behind BEC's debt in its last term to prevent default. This is a failing operation just as the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas is, just like Bahamasair is. So much of our money is being wasted in these places to satisfy unions and political cronies. Yet, both political parties seem to think it fine to let the waste go on and on and on. Better leadership is so needed in The Bahamas.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
