J$6.9-m tool to help JPS detect electricity theft
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says it signed a contract with the World Bank and Impact Lab on Wednesday to develop an analytical application tool that will help to detect electricity theft.
The contract, JPS said, is worth US$60,000 or roughly J$6.9 million, and represents a grant of US$40,000 from the World Bank, with the remainder being the JPS’ contribution to the effort.
“The World Bank will operate through the Impact Lab, whose personnel will work alongside JPS teams, to ensure the suitability of the application for the Jamaican environment,” JPS said in a news release Thursday.
The light and power company said a pilot phase of the implementation of the application will commence by the end of the first quarter of 2015.
JPS said it lost over US$18m last year due to fuel costs it could not recover as a result of electricity theft.
It said this is among several initiatives it has embarked on to stem this scourge.
