NORTH ANDROS TO PRESS FOR BPL COMPENSATION

THE North Andros Chamber of Commerce president yesterday said he will press for financial redress for the losses, damage and inconvenience suffered by the area’s businesses and residents when he meets Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) this week.

Darin Bethel told Tribune Business that companies must properly document their losses if they are to receive financial compensation with North Andros experiencing frequent power outages ever since the recent fire destroyed BPL’s generation equipment and related infrastructure.

He also voiced concern that the area’s MP, Leonardo Lightbourne, would seek to portray a recent protest over North Andros’ electricity woes as being politically motivated since such sentiments were both incorrect and “defeating” for residents and companies.

“First of all, I would like for them to properly consider our concerns. I hope that they agree in terms of compensating the business community and that they look into resolving our problem,” Mr Bethel said of BPL. “I represent the business community and I fear that a lot of the business owners have not properly documented their loss. While I am very well aware that they did have a loss, in order for BPL to compensate them they are going to look for losses that are properly documented. So some people may benefit and some people may not.”

Mr Bethel added that he is also seeking compensation for residents amid soaring electricity bills that have seen BPL’s all-in rates increase by 70 percent within just ten months. He said senior citizens who live on a fixed income are seeing electricity bills that exceed their pension cheques.

“The light bills are extremely high, and while they are high all over The Bahamas, they are exceptionally higher in North Andros,” he argued. “I’ve had several people tell me their bill has quadrupled and they called BPL, and they were told it’s because of the power surges, the constant cutting on and off, and you can imagine for the residents who experience that four to five times a day.

“We are seeing senior citizens that use their pension to pay their light bills, and it has increased so much that they are having difficulties paying their light bills.