Chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Leslie Miller said yesterday that BEC is in desperate need of private sector contributions to get power restored on all of the central and southern Family Islands that were affected by Hurricane Joaquin.
On October 1, Hurricane Joaquin stormed through The Bahamas ravaging Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador.
Since then, all government agencies have been working diligently to provide relief, but Mr. Miller said BEC has had its challenges.
According to Mr. Miller, about 30 per cent and 50 per cent of power has been restored on San Salvador and Acklins respectively.
However, he said the other islands are still a work in progress.
“The problem we have right now with BEC is that we need bucket trucks and hole diggers. We have 10 bucket trucks on BEC’s premises but most of the equipment is not working and those on the Family Islands were in need of parts,” Mr. Miller said.
“Most of the equipment needs parts that they are not getting it. However, people have been volunteering their trucks to assist us. We need to call on the private sector to assist us in that vital area.”
Mr. Miller said the suffering Bahamians on those islands are facing is unthinkable.
“One might leave the islands around 7:00 p.m. and by the time we get airborne the whole island is in darkness. Those mosquitos are killing those people up there. It’s a terrible situation to be in and BEC has to step to the plate,” he said.
The chairman said BEC has gotten some international assistance from a body in the Caribbean.
“BEC has gotten some assistance from an organization that we are a part of in the Caribbean and it costs us nothing. But I think the power companies especially the ones in Grand Bahama and Abaco should let us borrow their trucks,” Mr. Miller said.
He added that there are 20 electricity poles down in Rum Cay, 30 poles in Long Island and almost 70 poles down in Crooked Island.
“They need at least four trucks in Long Island, one in Rum Cay and you need two trucks on Crooked Island and two on Acklins. This is where BEC is falling short and if we get those trucks, this will cause us to get our work much, much faster,” Mr. Miller said.
“BEC does not have the capacity to do it.”
