The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE government expects to have a “definitive” path to restructuring at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation by the end of next month.

Works Minister Brave Davis yesterday said he and Prime Minister Perry Christie have agreed on a deadline for August 31.

Responding to concerns over power generation, Mr Davis said he felt confident that current challenges with electricity supply will be resolved before the Cable Beach mega-hotel Baha Mar opens for business in early December.

He said: “On BEC, the Prime Minister and I met (Monday) on the way forward.

“Unfortunately we would have dealt with it today but the (memorandum of understanding with Haiti) signing took precedence.

“Following our conversation, I have created another option to include the recommendations given to us, which will be put before the Cabinet next Tuesday for sure.

“We are looking at having a definitive path to restructuring by August 31 - that was agreed by the Prime Minister and I.”

Thousands of BEC customers were without electricity after “generator challenges” at the Blue Hills Power Station interrupted the supply to more than 50 per cent of New Providence on Monday.

Mr Davis spoke to The Tribune on the sidelines of trilateral talks between the Bahamas, Republic of Haiti, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

“The unfortunate thing that is happening,” he said, “illustrates the real need for us to restructure (BEC).

“The issue is the cabling, there has been some faults with the cabling and also protective mechanisms are failing to isolate troubled areas.”

He added: “We will be able to withstand that. By the time Baha Mar comes on stream all these things will be behind us, that’s why we’ve given ourselves until August 31.”

Mr Davis’ comments follow calls by former Minister of State for Environment Phenton Neymour for greater transparency into the restructuring process at the company. Mr Neymour maintains there should be full disclosure on energy reform before the government engaged bidders for the restructuring.

Last August, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced the government’s plans to effectively split BEC in two, by allowing one company to run the transmission, distribution and customer billing while another company would offer power generation.