NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Water & Sewerage Corporation (WSC) chairman Sylvanus Petty said yesterday that the corporation will not be conducting any mass disconnections while calling the previous notice “political mischief”.
Petty told reporters yesterday, “There will be no mass disconnections. That’s political mischief. Moving forward we do encourage people to pay their bills. It’s been surprising that we have a lot of Bahamians still paying their bills even though it’s been a slow period for Bahamians. Our response has been good so far.”
Works Minister Alfred Sears, QC, recently told Parliament that he had not been made aware of the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s (WSC) plans to resume the disconnection of outstanding accounts, noting that such a policy change would require a proper review. The Minnis administration had placed a moratorium on water disconnections in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement to customers posted on its Facebook page on November 3, the corporation advised that WSC will “commence disconnection of all outstanding accounts beginning Monday, November 15, 2021, in both New Providence and the Family Islands”.
When pressed on the “political mischief” assertion, Petty replied, “You can doctor any document. Moving forward there is no mass disconnections.”
He added: “The response has been positive. People have been coming in and paying their water bills. We encourage people to be responsible and come in and pay their water bills. Bahamians have been responsible and so far have been coming in and paying their water bills.”
Fine! Just don’t come to the House complaining when you have to subsidize the Corporation because of cash flow issues!