KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) reacted with disappointment to yesterday’s ruling by the Supreme Court against the exclusivity of its licence, and has signalled its intention to appeal.

According to JPS, the company is however welcoming the fact that the Court ruled that the all-Island licence was properly granted by the Energy Minister, and refused an application by lawyers acting on behalf of Citizens United to Reduce Electricity (CURE) to have the licence struck down.

"We are disappointed with today’s (yesterday’s) ruling against the exclusivity of the licence," Kelly Tomblin, JPS president said in a release.

"What this means is that JPS' shareholders bought an exclusive licence from the Government of Jamaica that has been found to be invalid. Also, we are not sure how this impacts our obligation to serve. We are therefore reviewing the ruling to determine the full implications. In the meantime, we will continue to focus on meeting the needs of our customers during this important time in Jamaica's history," she said.