BEC Chairman Leslie Miller
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller said BEC has “scrapped” plans to purchase six new generators because “the corporation is broke”.
Mr Miller told The Tribune yesterday there is “just no money” to buy these generators and the much needed purchase will have to wait until after the government’s request for proposals (RFP) process for BEC’s restructuring is complete.
In September, Mr Miller said BEC would purchase six generators for about $6 million in direct response to the continuous blackouts and power outages in New Providence and throughout the Family Islands last summer. He previously said the planned purchase was also in preparation of the mega-resort Baha Mar being added to the grid.
In fact, a team of BEC experts travelled to Florida to assess the generators with a view to purchase.
However, Mr Miller said there is just no way the corporation can spend “that amount of money now” because there is no “money to spare.”
“We do not have the money and nothing can be done until after the RFP process is completed which hopefully will be before the end of the year. So we are just waiting to see what will happen after the new management team comes,” Mr Miller said.
“It would be premature of us to make decisions without the party that will be at the table with us. We will have to sit with them and move ahead as one unit. So not only do we not have the money, we still have to wait until after the government chooses a management company.”
Despite being unable to purchase the generators Mr Miller said the current engines are in good shape because the weather is “cooler”.
He said: “Blue Hills is running good and Clifton is okay. As the days cool down it stresses the generators less and demand has gone down about 10 to 15 per cent and it will continue to get better as we move away from the summer. By the time the demand is high again the engines will be ready again and hopefully the process will be done.”
Last year, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced his government’s plan to divide BEC into two separate entities. He said the intent was to have one company run the transmission, distribution and customer billing while another offers power generation.
The government was expected to select preferred bidders for BEC by November of last year. That deadline, however, was later postponed.
Last month, the government said it was entering into final negotiations with a shortlist of bidders for the overhaul of BEC. The negotiations were expected to be completed by November 1, however it is unclear if that deadline is still on target.
Comments
GrassRoot 10 years ago
BEC is not "broke" it was "broken".
realfreethinker 10 years ago
bec aint just get broke. they lie so much now he have to back track. they were never going to puchase no generators that was done to appease the public when they could not keep the power on. another waste of money send a " team " to assess the engines
jlcandu 10 years ago
Mr. Miller,
Since the government was supposed to be actively selling this blood-sucking corporation, why would BEC buy new generators??? When one is selling a business, you don't upgrade the equipment just before the sale!!!
It is no secret that BEC is broke -- with successive governments' mismanagement and inefficiency, and those close to the government not paying their bills, what the heck did you expect??? The cookie jar is empty and scrapping at crumbs!!!
Sell the bloody thing so that some competent management can be restored so that average Bahamians don't have to pay a monthly mortgage payment to BEC and actually ENJOY their existence before they die!!!!
Sickened 10 years ago
I'm not sure selling it will necessarily bring in more competent management. Look at BTC for example, unbelievably they got worse (much worse) after new management came in. BEC's management is bad (terrible in fact) but the new guys may be worse. Sad to say!!!
PKMShack 10 years ago
use some of that carnival money to help fix the country instead of wasting that dancing in the street
jackbnimble 10 years ago
Fa real. Dancing in the dark streets with no lights. Can you spell dumb!
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
LOL. Funny enough, I agree. I've said before I love the idea of a week long cultural festival, but seriously, priorities????
duppyVAT 10 years ago
Is this man a real businessman? what skills does he really bring to the EXC job????
CuriousAbaconian 10 years ago
Why the **** does this man still have a job? Out of all the worthless politicians we have in this country (including our MP in South Abaco) Leslie Miller might be the worst. This man's performance (or lack thereof) is a joke - sadly the joke's on us....
proudloudandfnm 10 years ago
Jesus we have morons in charge.....
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
No money for critical infrastructure that we knew we needed from 2012, but 15 million to fake UR....
TalRussell 10 years ago
Who can you call when lights be disconnected for non-payment? Comrades this is type financial insolvency, which occurs when your residential customers monthly light bills become higher than their families groceries budget. The workingman's and woman's can no longer afford to keep up with their BEC bills. The big foreigner owned hotels and politically connected business owners does consider avoiding paying their BEC bills as a privileged form entitlement corporate welfare. The major difference is when da struggling Bahamalander’s lights does get’s cut-off – they’s stays off - cause ain’t none them got’s Comrade Pot cakes reconnection hotline cell number?
USAhelp 10 years ago
Its the unions bleeding BEC dry Stealing fuel hooking up electric to others for cash in pockets. Now lets blame Miller. Make your bed so sleep in it.
ChaosObserver 10 years ago
they robbed the bank account dry before they needed to buy generators...thus nothing left for anyone else....aka the regular hard working bahamian that needs electricity....thieves! worthless pieces of sh**...
John 10 years ago
Based on current fuel prices BEC is collecting three times the revenue for the electricty it supplies. Oil prices are now at $77 a barrel and so the fuel surchage should be close to zero. Yet BEC is adding more surcharge than when oil was above $120 a barrel. This company needs to be audited and our money refunded
SP 10 years ago
Good luck with that one!
John 10 years ago
Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call of a mother in labor. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a three-year-old toddler, to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked.
Mommy pushed and pushed and, after a little while, baby Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry.
The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed girl what she thought about what she had just witnessed. Kathleen quickly responded, “He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place. . .smack his ass again!”
John 10 years ago
Before 1967 the whites conchy joes shouted “white Power!” After 1967, the PLP's and the blacks shouted “black Power”. At last we can now shout together – “no Power ” !!
Emac 10 years ago
Lol... good one!
John 10 years ago
Have you heard that satan is no longer the Prince of Darkness?
Who is Leslie Miller?
sansoucireader 10 years ago
Should have used all the millions 'they say' they've invested on BAMSI in Andros, to purchase those much needed generators. Lousy again!
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
100 million to write off loans defaulted on by political friends and lovers, but no money to ensure the poor citizens have a electricity supply. This is the WORST government ever.
Emilio26 2 years, 7 months ago
ThisIsOurs even though most bahamians weren't a fan of Minnis however, I must admit that his administration did an excellent job at bringing BPL formerly known as BEC back on its feet by purchasing new generators for the Clifton Pier and Blue Hills power stations.
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