Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley has said that he is open to listening to persons who have valid reasons for why the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) should be investigated beyond their mandatory audit.
Premier Wheatley made the statement in response to allegations that were raised by a member of the media at a recent press conference.
The premier was asked to provide a timeframe for when the BVIEC will be investigated for the present high cost of electricity in the territory, alleged mismanagement of customers’ assets, and alleged victimisation of customers by the two heads of the Corporation.
Dr. Wheatley in response to the question provided an avenue for which such residents can utilise to have their respective complaints addressed.
“If persons have specific complaints about victimisation or any on toward behaviour, or anything that should be noted, I would advise them to, first of all, submit their concerns or their complaints to the head of the Board which is Mrs. Rosemary Flax and if you don’t get any joy there you can go directly to the Ministry of Communications and Works to let their complaints be known”, he said.
He continued, “In terms of the Electricity Department, I’m pretty sure they’re audited. I’ll actually seek some confirmation on when they’ve had their last audit and if any persons have any other reasons why they think that they should be investigated beyond an audit, I’ll be happy to hear it.”
High price linked to global prices
Premier Wheatley also reiterated that the high price of electricity in the BVI is presently linked to the global rise of oil.
He said that he too would love for the price of electricity to decrease as the present spike is costing the government millions in subsidising costs.
He said, “As it pertains to the high cost of electricity we know certainly that the high cost of fuel has played a role in that but some persons may feel as though that still may not be a justification for the price. I know that people all over the world are experiencing high prices, but certainly I would love to see the price of electricity be lowered because of course it is only so much subsidization you would be able to do.”
Go Green!
Dr. Wheatley also took the time to once again persuade residents to consider the option of utilising renewable energy, which would significantly assist residents in saving money towards electricity and fuel costs.
“I would advise persons as well to go into the alternative energy market and this is one of the justifications to going into alternative energy because the price of fuel fluctuates and every crisis causes a crisis in our pocketbooks. And of course, we have the use of the sun, we have the use of the wind, we have the use of the ocean and these things are free to us and of course if we are able to utlilise them properly, we’ll be able to provide a little bit more resilience into our energy sector. We’ll provide a little bit more stability, a little bit more predictability and I think this is the way that we all have to go because of course the price of oil and fuel, and it’s so volatile, every time you have a war you have a challenge”, he explained.
Premier Wheatley said his government will continue to monitor the price of oil globally, warning that it is unlikely that they will continue to heavily subsidise the cost of electricity in the territory into the new year of 2023.