Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) officials have said that they have restored power to 79,000 of the 81,000 residents in New Providence, leaving about 2,000 persons in the dark.

In a press statement issued yesterday, the company added that it has completed restoration efforts in North and Central Andros following major Hurricane Matthew and officials are now eying 98 percent restoration in the capital by the end of today.

Officials said they have completed its core restoration work in most of its most challenging areas including South Beach East, Sanford Drive, Coral Harbour and Adelaide.

The company anticipates that it will complete restoration work in Sea Breeze and Imperial Park today and will continue working in South Beach West.

The company also reminded customers that if they live in areas where there was flooding, the Ministry of Works must complete inspections before areas can be energized and approvals must be given from the ministry to reconnect homes with flood damage.

Residents as well as politicians have been vocal about their frustration in BPL’s restoration times, Prime Minister Perry Christie who last week said he wished BPL “would speed things up” sang a different tune yesterday.

While as a guest on the Love 97/JCN programme “Jones and Co,” Mr. Christie said Bahamas Power and Light has been performing “magnificently” relative to the amount of the infrastructural damage that has taken place throughout the country.

He noted the significance of the arrival of technician crews from around the Caribbean and the United States who have helped expedite this effort.

On the other side, there is BEC Chairman and Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, who is not letting up on his verbal attacks on BPL.

In an interview with the Journal, Mr. Miller said he finds it hard to fathom that some Bahamians are now approaching day 17 without any electricity adding that under his watch as chairman power would have already been restored.

Mr. Miller further charged that he believes BPL executives and workers are personally slighting him for his comments, and as a result his constituents and businesses suffer as a result due to their power not being restored.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Miller referred to the scarce number of trucks and technicians in Nassau as a “skeleton crew”.