By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Power and Light announced yesterday that it will immediately resume disconnection of electricity services of residential customers who have $500 or more in arrears for more than 90 days as of April 1.
“Any customers with a balance more than 90 days in arrears since April 1, 2020, have 21 days (or until July 28, 2020) to bring their accounts current or to enroll in a payment plan,” BPL said in a notice. “After that, they will be eligible for disconnection. For customers who enrolled in the BPL COVID-19 relief programme, we note they now have 21 days to bring their accounts current, or to enroll in a payment plan. After that, they will be eligible for disconnection. BPL has made this decision after consultation with the government of The Bahamas. For our commercial customers we are proceeding as normal.”
As thousands of Bahamians stayed home to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus and as many lost their jobs, BPL suspended disconnections. In early April, CEO Whitney Heastie said disconnections would be suspended for as long as the government maintained its emergency orders.
He said at the time: “Again, we recognise this is a difficult time. That’s why together with the government we have introduced deferred payments for those directly affected by COVID-19. Our COVID-19 relief programme covers three categories of persons: residential customers who are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus, residential customers who are in quarantine due to the virus, and residential customers have been laid off as a result of the virus.”
As part of his emergency orders, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis suspended the obligation to pay insurance premiums with respect to health, medical and life insurance policies until the end of the state of emergency and 60 days afterward. He also suspended requirements to file documents with, pay fees to, to renew licenses, visas or permits issued by a government entity, statutory body or regulator, though this did not apply to customs, value-added tax, real property tax or national insurance payments.
Comments
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
BPL's inability to collect its growing receivables from customers is not only a function of the dismal state of our economy and the ever increasing number of unemployed Bahamians, but perhaps more so from the moral hazard created by Minnis's asinine emergency orders whereby many now believe they can pay their bills down the road when and if they eventually have the financial means to do so. Frankly, all of BPL's problems stem from failed policies of the Minnis led FNM government and the more recent ridiculous executive orders of Minnis as self-annointed supreme ruler.
Suggest someone tell the astonauts they will no longer be seeing the Bahamas at night as clearly as they used to while orbiting the earth.
tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago
oops...astronauts
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 10 months ago
So people have been out of work for three months making no money and BPL will start disconnections immediately? No time to go back to work to make the money you need?
Who's the moron that came up with this one???
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