NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition leader Michael Pintard tabled several questions in Parliament directed to Prime Minister Philip Davis and Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby Davis regarding the government’s plans for Bahamas Power and Light (BPL).
One of Pintard’s questions now on the agenda is: “Will the Honorable Prime Minister provide this Honorable House with a detailed explanation of the $110 million loan provided to BPL, including the terms of the loan, interest charge, and its contribution to the fuel surcharge experienced by BPL?
Others read: “Will the Honorable Minister Coleby-Davis inform this Honorable House the extent to which the government has consulted any agencies or members of the public with respect to the future vision and direction of BPL in advance of engaging private firms in discussions about contracts/sale for Generation, Transmission and Distribution of electricity in the Bahamas? Will all benefits of employees remain? Who will be responsible for workers’ salaries and benefits?”
Pintard has also questioned whether the government intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the awarding of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution contracts consistent with the Procurement Act and who will ultimately own the assets of the reconfigured power company.
Last week, Prime Minister Philip Davis dismissed Opposition suggestions that the government was undertaking a “secret deal” regarding the future of Bahamas Power and Light. Davis suggested that within two to three months, the company’s consumers would see an appreciable reduction in their electricity bills. The Prime Minister argued that suggesting that his administration had struck a secret deal was “political mischief.”
Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) president Kyle Wilson has stated that employees at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) are against the impending public-private partnership (PPP) agreements for the utility company. It is understood that in the next three months, BPL will sign two PPP agreements, one for power generation and the other for transmission and distribution with the company. The government has not revealed the details of the deal to the employees or the general public, although the Prime Minister has stated that BPL is not being privatized and insisted that the government is bringing in “strategic partners” to generate the funds necessary to “fix” BPL.
It is understood that the power generation will be contracted to a leading local petroleum product supplier, while the transmission and distribution will be contracted to Pike Corporation, whose chairman, Eric Pike, has an equity stake in Sir Franklyn Wilson’s Jack Bay development in Eleuthera. Sir Franklyn, Chairman of FOCOL, has stated that rumors that his company, or some new subsidiary of his consortium of companies, is set to take over assets of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) are categorically untrue.
Pintard yesterday also questioned the proposed relocation of the Road Traffic Department of the Summer Winds Plaza owned by former Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller.
“Will the Honourable Minister Coleby-Davis advise this Honourable House on the move to Summer Winds Plaza, what is the investment to make it fit for operations, who is doing the renovations, and has credit been given for money already advanced to the landlord?”
Pintard has previously called on the government to disclose the details and terms of that proposed arrangement.
