Former State Minister for the Environment Phenton Neymour blasted Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Chairman Leslie Miller for “jeopardizing” the country’s number one industry.
During a press conference yesterday, Mr. Neymour said this latest threat by the chairman to disconnect hotels and large consumers is a matter most concerning his insanity.
Last week Mr. Miller announced plans to disconnect power supply to hotels whose bills were millions of dollars in arrears.
Mr. Neymour said Mr. Miller has no fear and no hesitation in shutting down the very lifeline of the country.
“Clearly he does not care about the tens of thousands of Bahamians who work in the tourism industry and commercial businesses,” he said.
“Nor does he care about those people who voted for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in the last election, who work in these hotels and businesses. He does not care if they have no job to go to in the morning.”
“Mr. Miller and the PLP obviously have no regard for the confidentiality of information held by a public utility, such as BEC, by Mr. Miller publicly stating the names and magnitude of electrical bills of the hotel and commercial employees of thousands of Bahamians.”
The former parliamentarian called it interesting that the chairman would cut the hotels off when he himself owes BEC a large sum of money.
Mr. Neymour hit back at the chairman after he criticized the Free National Movement (FNM) during the budget debate that the FNM had paid disconnectors $740,595 over a 12-month period.
“If one were to use the average of $480 and $680 per week, which he said last week he is now paying disconnectors, it is equivalent to $580 per week,” he said.
“If one were to multiply $580 by 25 disconnectors and by 52 weeks in one year, it works out to Mr. Miller now paying $754,000 over a 12-month period.”
“Clearly, by his admission he is paying more for disconnection services at BEC than under the FNM as quoted by him as $740,595 and now the PLP is paying $754,000.”
As for the amount of load shedding BEC does, Mr. Neymour said it is being hidden by the current government.
“The FNM was criticized whenever load shedding was done,” he said.
“People have had their lights turned off and it’s even being turned off today. It happened this past weekend in the east and now this morning.”
Load shedding, which is the process of disconnecting power to certain sections to avoid overload of generators, Mr. Neymour is something that shouldn’t be kept from the consumers.
Mr. Neymour said he’s disappointed that Prime Minister Perry Christie has remained silent on the entire issue and that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works Philip Davis has encouraged the chairman’s actions.
He called on the leaders to immediately remove Mr. Miller as BEC’s Chairman.
