The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday asserted that Bahamas Power and Light's (BPL) performance this summer relative to power outages is "still better than any in the past".

Speaking outside Cabinet yesterday, Desmond Bannister, minister of works, said: "I'm having a chart prepared to compare power outages every summer compared to this summer. I think you will find that this summer is still better than any summer you would have had in the past. There are some challenges and this is why I talk about the board costing BPL money.

"BPL has had an engine generator sitting down since May 30. It requires some parts that cost in the several millions of dollars. The CEO located these parts, which are sole sourced; there are only two sources in the world where you can get these parts from, and he has not been able to order those parts because of issues with the (former) board."

Despite the ongoing board turmoil, Mr Bannister said BPL employees have not been forgotten in the company's plans. "I've met with Mr Christie and Mr Maynard - the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU) and Bahamas Electrical Workers Union presidents - respectively. I know they had concerns," he added.

"One of the challenges has been that there have been so many things to fix at BPL, and we have gone about trying to fix them and deal with all of the challenges and the VSEP. We do have to sit down with them and have to assure them of where the opportunities lie as it relates to BPL. The first duty has to be to the consumers.

"The first challenge is to fix what we have to, and then look at all of the matters that impact the staff and employees at BPL so they can be happy. We want to keep them. We have good, high quality people."

The BEWU's Mr Maynard, meanwhile, called for an end to what he described as the "petty and sad" recriminations stemming from the dissolution of Bahamas Power and Light's (BPL) former board, adding: "They need to get a grip on this nonsense."

In particular, he suggested Mr Bannister had "gone low" by suggesting he had blocked the payment of personal bills incurred by former chairman, Darnell Osborne, including payments for make-up services and home security systems.

"There's a lot of stuff going on at BPL and this is what he's talking about? We don't have time for that. They need to get a grip on this nonsense," said Mr Maynard, adding it was time to cut the "pettiness and right the ship".

"I'm very concerned that since 2012 until now, we can't seem to get this process right with BPL. This is extremely sad and all of what is going on isn't making any sense. We need to turn this company around for the Bahamian people."