Vaz appeals for calm amid power woes; regional help secured
Published:Thursday | July 18, 2024 | 12:08 AMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
Calling the damage done to the energy sector following the passage of Hurricane Beryl two weeks ago a “crisis”, portfolio minister Daryl Vaz is pleading with Jamaicans for patience as the Government seeks regional assistance for full power restoration.
His appeal came at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, where he disclosed that significant damage had been done to the Jamaica Public Service’s (JPS) infrastructure.
“I want to just ask and plead with the country for patience. I represent a rural constituency. So, I’m not only getting it second-hand from all of my colleagues in Parliament and the communities that reach out to me, but I am getting it first-hand, based on the fact that I am on top of what is happening in Portland and they, too, are suffering,” said Vaz, who is the member of parliament for Portland Western.
He said an assessment by JPS revealed damage to 94 transmission structures, 2,602 light poles, 4,287 conductors, 137 transformers, and 2,185 other transmission and distribution equipment.
However, he noted that customers are not expected to pay additional charges to repair and replace the damaged infrastructure, pointing to a US$50-million insurance-type fund the utility company can access.
Vaz said the company is now able to cover the damage because of the fund, learning from past experiences and the difficulties encountered to secure insurance for its assets.
He said the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) had approved in the rates for electricity a charge that is paid to an electricity disaster fund.
The OUR had approved an initial drawdown of US$5 million before the passage of Hurricane Beryl, Vaz said. This was used to help fund inventory preparation for the hurricane season.
Further, he said that several CARICOM member states have agreed to send personnel to Jamaica to assist in the restoration of power to badly affected areas in southern St Elizabeth, Manchester, and Clarendon.
The energy minister said it is unacceptable for communities in those parishes and the wider Jamaica to enter a third week in the dark.
“I had a discussion with the JPS management team, where I insisted that the time has come for external assistance based on the suffering of the Jamaican people, based on the gaps that exist in the supply across every parish,” said Vaz.
He said aside from badly affected communities, there remains a significant number of households without electricity.
He added that external local contractors from the bauxite industry have been assigned to Hanover and St Elizabeth, while support has been requested from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation.
Vaz said that Belize, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana have agreed to send personnel to assist with restoration efforts, while Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith has been asked to lobby the wider region for support.
“The time has come for external assistance, so that whatever is outstanding can be done in the shortest possible time,” said Vaz.
He said that excluding St Elizabeth, up to Sunday 55,000 customers were without electricity. This was cut to 35,960 by Monday and is expected to further fall to 27,455 by Friday.