The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday said the Government would appoint a Task Force to assess the recommendations from a free energy feasibility study by Genting Energy Group, its head noting that some reforms to the sector were needed.

The Genting Energy Group made a presentation on the study yesterday to  the Prime Minister, key government officials and corporate heads at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC).

While the results of the study were not disclosed Mr Christie said a Task Force would be appointed “within the immediate future”, indicating that the names of its members would be revealed before the Christmas holiday.

“This is a study that embraced the generation of power, how to best, in the view of Genting, reduce the cost of generating and distributing that power,” the Prime Minister said.

“As a result of their examination of that question, they have added to it the production of water and how to reduce the cost, ultimately to Bahamians, of water.

“They have examined the question of solid waste and how we manage the sites where solid waste is despoiled, and the serious implications to the health of the country on the basis of how the sites are managed.”

The report, the Prime Minister said, also looked at the question of sewerage and the limited coverage of an efficient and effective system for the island of New Providence.

  “For our purpose I would say that we are not disappointed,” Mr Christie said. “In fact, we are significantly encouraged by the presentation and the results. I have indicated that before we go further in any public way with the recommendations set out in the report, that we should move immediately to appoint a Task Force with a grouping of Bahamian experts who would, in addition to what Genting has proposed, examine all of the proposals we have received in this process.”

Mr Christie said reducing the cost of electricity had been outlined in the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) Charter for Governance.

“The recommendations go to the root of how best, in a cost effective manner, we generate electricity. Electricity that is much cheaper than it is now,” the Prime Minister said.

“We want to have a good result. The sooner we get our team looking at this, analysing the proposals before us, the sooner we will have the kind of result you want.”  

The head of the Genting Energy Group, TS Ong, said: “Our basic conclusion is that some reforms would be needed.

“Many countries have carried out reforms in the 1970s and 1980s with regards to power supply, with regard to waste disposal and potable water, and we are recommending that the Bahamas go through a period of reforms in this industry. It is not sustainable for any country to use a social service model for these industries.”