Dear Editor,

I read with some interest your article in The Guardian of 6th July, 2017, regarding Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) increasing their fuel surcharge and URCA being unable to price regulate them for five years. Having worked at URCA and been intimately involved in the drafting of the Electricity Act 2015, I can assure you that during this five-year "regulatory holiday", the public was not left unprotected. BPL is not supposed to have the ability during this five-year period to freely raise rates without any checks and balances. Under section 20(6) of the Electricity Act, the issue of rates and rate increases during this period is supposed to be part of the management agreement between the government and PowerSecure. To date, the public is unaware of the terms of the management agreement and it is unclear what part or role the government has played, if any, in approving the latest rate increase. Prior to 10th May, 2017, this responsibility would have rested with the Ministry of Works and Utilities which would have been responsible for relations with BPL and PowerSecure.

- Vincent Wallace Whitfield

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian