The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AMID economic challenges on Grand Bahama, the Coalition for Concerned Citizens is calling for a halt of rate increases by the Grand Bahama Utility Company in water supply and garbage collection fees.

Pastor Eddie Victor, president of the CCC, noted that customers have received notices in their water bills of a 5 percent hike in the rates. He is asking for regulators, namely the Grand Bahama Port Authority, to hold off on the rate increases.

“Today the Coalition is very concerned about the recent notice received in customers’ water bills concerning an increase of rates for water supply and sanitation services” he said. “Based on information we have received, sanitation rates increased on January 1, 2019, and water rates will increase February 1, 2019,” he said.

Pastor Victor said the rate increase, inclusive of 12 percent VAT, will increase the total bill for water supply by 5.5 percent and sanitation services by 5.6 percent.

He indicated that there was no public notice in the media about the rates increasing, nor were there any town meetings with stakeholders.

Pastor Victor noted that the responsibility of any regulator is to protect the consumers. He said the Coalition believes that the water being supplied to West and East Grand Bahama should also be regulated by the Utilities Regulation Competition and Authority (URCA).

“Any rate increases on Grand Bahama adds more economic burdens to consumers and contributes to increases in the cost of living,” he said. “Economic development in Freeport is one of the responsibilities of the GBPA and this will not be achieved by increasing the cost of doing business.”

The CCC has also spoken out against the high cost of electricity on Grand Bahama, holding marches, petitions, demonstrations, and boycotts against the Grand Bahama Power Company.

The organisation also announced its support of a new Bahamian company that is proposing to build a $30 solar plant to supply electricity to West and East Grand Bahama.

In December, the CCC collected over 300 letters of support from residents about a proposed firm solar plant for West and East Grand Bahama, and delivered them to the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport. In the letters signed by residents, they are also asking the government not to renew the expired East End and West End agreements that would allow GB Power to continue to provide electricity to those areas.