June 18, 2008
Dear Editor,
The PUC (Public Utilities Commission) was right to reject BEL’s request for rate increases, and should continue to reject it, despite the report of the independent expert. Did that expert even consider what the increase would do to us?
The PUC has a duty to protect the public from price gouging and abuse by BEL’s monopoly. They don’t even try to keep rates down, because they don’t have to. They expect a rate increase every time they ask for it.
Fortis is Canadian and owns BEL and BECOL.
BEL buys power from BECOL and both BEL and BECOL are guaranteed profits. Did the independent expert take that into consideration? We doubt it!
And now Fortis is threatening to shut off power to punish us if they don’t get their raise. It’s time to put electricity back in public hands, rather than private foreign hands. Or – make Fortis sell either BECOL or BEL to the Belize government. Fortis is robbing us Belizeans from a safe distance, in more ways than one.
There was a report that BEL workers are demanding a wage increase. Fortis is Canadian. They pay their Canadian workers at home a much higher wage than what they pay the Belizean BEL workers here.
In their statement to the press, they called BEL’s request for a rate hike unjustified. The BEL workers are telling us, the Belizean people, this.
More letters – can we tell the Canadian press what Fortis is doing to poor little Belize? After all, lots of Canadian tourists come down here and since they pay a much lower price to Fortis in Canada, they think Fortis would treat a poor country fairly, too. Maybe this esteemed newspaper should contact a Canadian newspaper to let the Canadian people know about Fortis.
PUC, please stick to your decision. Reject their request, and protect the Belizean people.
Sincerely,
Citizen Davis