Water board starts turn-off offensive

Long Island MP and WSC chairman Adrian Gibson.

As of Tuesday, October 2, 2018

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE WATER and Sewerage Corporation yesterday commenced a mass disconnection of delinquent accounts across the country, with thousands expected to be affected.

The corporation’s executive chairman, Adrian Gibson, in an interview with The Tribune yesterday confirmed that planned disconnections were underway across the New Providence.

Last week, Mr Gibson said in a bid to collect “nearly half” the $45m owed to the corporation, officials would begin disconnections at some point this week.

When contacted yesterday for an update on the status of that exercise and when it was expected to get underway, Mr Gibson responded: “Today.”

When asked which groups were being targeted and how many persons would be affected, Mr Gibson added: “Everyone who has an account that may be delinquent; hundreds, possibly a few thousand.”

Mr Gibson said WSC officials have conducted a two-week campaign to make account holders with large balances aware of the impending disconnections.

He said the campaign has also included media reports and television news appearances by him.

The Tribune accompanied a WSC unit carrying out disconnections in the Stapledon Gardens area yesterday.

While on the route, servicemen disconnected water services to three properties - each with outstanding balances of more than $1,000.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, yesterday said she was unaware that she had an account with WSC.

“I wasn’t aware that we paid water,” the woman said with a slight grimace. “I am not the one who pays the bill here. I wasn’t aware that we paid a water bill, so I wasn’t really keeping up with it.

“We’ll have to check it out,” she told The Tribune.

Her bill was just over $1,100. To be reconnected, servicemen told her she would have to pay a $100 reconnection fee, plus value added tax expenses.

She stood watch as two of her neighbours, one two doors north and another just across the street, also were disconnected.

In a press statement yesterday, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said it was incumbent upon the government to “ensure” that it doesn’t “cause more harm than good” in its disconnection process.

Mr Davis said while the Official Opposition does believe that all resident “must all pay” their bills, the party is of the view WSC should make every attempt to “work with customers,” particularly families with children to ensure the supply of water stays on.

“Here is the issue with the FNM: dismissals in the thousands from the public service since they came to office; disconnections from the power supply; people being expelled from their homes by the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation,” Mr Davis noted, “police out en masse fining people for minor infractions at elevated levels and now mass disconnections of water.

“It simply comes off as a cruel and inhumane,” he added.

Last week, Mr Gibson revealed that the corporation had also enhanced its accounts receivables and legal services departments to go after defaulters with demand letters, disconnection warnings and other notifications being issued through all communications mediums.

Mr Gibson, at that time, said no one had an excuse not to know of the impending disconnections, adding that he planned to aggressively pursue non-payers who were ultimately inflating the annual $20m-$30m taxpayer subsidy that covers the corporation’s operating losses and capital works costs.

He further promised a “major accounts receivables reduction.”

The Long Island MP told Tribune Business last week: “My intention is to claw back most of it. It was around $45m. I’m hopeful we can collect more than half of it.

“At present, I can tell you that metre readers are in the field. Right now, it’s a mass metre reading exercise to make sure everyone’s metre is read. Next week we begin mass disconnections.

“Those disconnections will take in the western district of New Providence all the way around through Carmichael to Yamacraw and Eastern Road, and take in East Street, South Beach and downtown Nassau. All the major areas in New Providence, disconnection teams will be out for those persons.”

He also noted that Family Island residents would not be spared in the exercise, insisting that they will be held to the same standard as their fellow delinquents on New Providence.

birdiestrachan 6 years, 1 month ago

Do they really need the press to go along with them to embarrass the people??

It is indeed "THE PEOPLES TIME"

bogart 6 years, 1 month ago

WEEEEEELL ....MUDDOES ....,!., In order of cutting off should be .... 1. The highest debts owed.... 2. Commercial businesses areas 3. Politicians....on the secret no cut off list 4. Public servants wid jobs 5. Wealthy echelon areas 6. Den yinna moves way down the ladder to da pore...!!!.....AN AN...AN...pays attention to all dem tenants renting houses over the hill an getting free provided water.....!!! 7. And then the 2,500 workers who get laid off....jus last year....still having to pay VAT ....an increased VAT ....to pays the technician salary who turning off they water...!!!!

TigerB 6 years, 1 month ago

Bahamians dem dont' like pay they bills, water, light, property tax, we spoil!!

TalRussell 6 years, 1 month ago

One of 35 red shirt MP's lacking any interest fully answer the simplest of governing questions?
The Comrade Long Island MP says he will disconnect peoples waters but is unsure if its a couple hundreds or thousands water meters be disconnect - seems be just another red shirt running cover rather than give full and proper answers to governing questions..... like when asked if the entire board flew off attend a water conference across the pond to England - he said, I can't tell you how many board members took the flight but it wasn't the entire water and sewage board?
Let's hope the Imperial red shirts cabinet will not be sending a box of Chocolates and Christmas Card with their disconnection notice to their list Do Not Disconnects Waters Red Shirts Politically Connected.

bogart 6 years, 1 month ago

@TigerB....I hears you ...there is a Criminology, urban sociology theory.....the broken windows theory.....someting when there is one broken window on an abandoned building.....vandals will continue to breal other windows....until....someting done when social fabric change.....someting like that.....happens all over no sense saying Bahamians .... In these legal bill ducking contractual there MUST be da odder side....like it takes 2 hands to clap.....IT IS WORSER KNOWING THERE IS PAID SALARIED OFFICIALS IN THESE ANNUAL MONEY LOSING GOVT AGENCIES SUCKING UP SALARIED...OVERSEEN BY SELECTED EXPERTS ON BOARDS OF DIRECTORS........ALL DESE YEARS......now comes to find out somebody gets paid...posing bigtime in papers past years......an such incompetance.....sorry slackness......sad ting bout it dere always one or 2 people who knowing what happening...talking out...ignored called trouble makers...workkng demselves to the bone.....BUT it goes on till one Adrian Gibson come along in a decade riding he horse whipping he whip....sorry tambrind switch....sorry hard mout......trying to correct tings....

TalRussell 6 years, 1 month ago

Ma Comrade The Most Honorable Edward Seaga, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, dances to beat Prince Buster's "Wash, Wash"
Oh yeah just what we in Bahamaland needs do is brungs out we Washing Boards to begin Wash, Wash away all sitting House of Assembly's red shirts MP's - beginning with MP for Long Island.

..........//////https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgvb7jX_cr0

BMW 6 years, 1 month ago

Birdie brain the people would not get embarrassed if they paid their bill! To the other dense one tal you are just a brain dead plp. It the time to pay your bills simple as that why should the tax dollars I pay go to keeping water on for bill duckers. Disconnect them all. As for the short stubby greasy grimy one why you don't go to hell. I bet you collected the $120.00 from all the people who you saw in your module here in GB

BMW 6 years, 1 month ago

On another note, short stubby greasy grimy made mention of police out in force ticketing people.I say its about damn time, just today I almost got t-boned by some entitled idiot that ran a stop sign. The police need to sit by stop signs , treasury would benefit cause I swear not one Bahamian driver knows what " STOP" means. Book em till they learn.

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