BU family member asked the following questions directed to the government through its agent the Fair Trading Commission (FTC).
- How is it even possible for a rate hearing to take three years?
- Can this be ‘for real’ in 2024 when things change almost daily?
- How are the intervenors selected? …and what are they expecting to achieve?
- Are intervenors paid by the FTC?
After reading Minister of Energy Lisa Cummins defence of the Electricity Supply Bill, 2024 the first thought was the blogmaster’s lack of confidence in government. There is too much mistrust in government to encourage public confidence. The blogmaster suspects it has to do with the fact there is an unacceptable level of inefficiency seen at every turn. The latest fiasco being the government forced to delay a decision to remove dark tint from vehicles.
We have laws that govern tints on vehicles; they don’t allow dark tints. It must stop and the Government has set a target date that no later than the 14th of October, persons who are not having tints that are compliant, in other words, the light tint, will be fined… Loop
Here is what ordinary Barbadians must be thinking about the lack of urgency by all parties to regulate the energy sector, including the Barbados Light and Power – the energy sector is too important to Barbados – being a net importer – to encourage regulatory decisions taking 3 years and counting. This lethargy permeates all that we want to do in the country. Nothing is implemented easily and well.
This latest attempt to alienate intervenors from the process must be viewed with suspicion given the track record of successive governments prioritising pandering to investors. Minister Cummins’ assurance that the draft Electricity Supply Bill, 2024 was widely circulated rings hollow because it was the same assurance given to the public regarding the Bail Bill. The Barbados Bar Association rejected the claim.
The previous Decades of deceit: How successive BLP and DLP governments have colluded to bury corruption blog exposes the objective of successive governments. Continue to pander to the narrow interest of capital and to hell with the masses.
The role of intervenors is critical and must not be marginalised by the Mottley government. We are at a critical juncture in our history where political opposition has been weakened given the ongoing ‘challenges’ being experienced by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
If the government is committed to implementing renewable energy (RE) solutions, where is the national policy to manage imports of ICE vehicles in Barbados? If government is committed to RE is it accurate to conclude the offshore oil exploration effort has been retired? Given the bevy of public relations resources available to government there is a deafening silence about important matters.
The people must demand respect from those elected to serve them.
The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.