CLARENDON, Jamaica — Councillors at the Clarendon Municipal Corporation have described the move by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) to close the parish office as a step in the wrong direction.

The local representatives did not mince words at Thursday’s sitting of their monthly council meeting as they chided the island’s sole provider of electricity to reopen the Manchester Avenue parish office until it has undertaken a proper public education and sensitisation campaign.

Councillor Joel Williams, who represents the Denbigh Division, described the move as a retrograde step.

“I am very disappointed, I am not sure that JPS is taking into consideration the challenges the people of Jamaica are facing at this time, more so the people of Clarendon because if they did, this closure they are thrusting on us now could come later down the line.”

He contended that: “If youngsters online are having challenges with the various issues as it relates to their education, can you imagine what it is going to be for the senior citizens who are not as savvy? I think this is just wrong, the timing is incorrect and I’m asking at the highest level that JPS revisit this matter.”

Councillor for the Thompson Town Division, Collin Henry, said as a representative of a division that is considered deep rural where approximately 90 per cent of constituents are without any Internet access, the closure of the office will cause a huge gap between the company and its paying customers.

“When you talk to the elderly about an app or online services they ask if it is the clothes line outside you talking. In fact JPS should be looking to open smaller offices in all the major towns instead of taking away the parish branch from us,” said Henry.

He opined that there should have been a six-month long public education campaign aimed at sensitising the people as to how they will go about doing their business with the changes to be implemented.

Adding his voice to the number of councillors asking JPS to rethink the move, Hayes Division Councillor Scean Barnswell said although he enjoys using the app, many constituents are not as privileged to Internet accessibility and connectivity.

“JPS should also take into consideration persons with disabilities such as those with hearing and visual impediments,” Barnswell suggested, as he questioned if the app being proposed by the company will provide a feature for those customers to use.

“To use the app persons will also need to have a credit card. Many elderly persons don’t have enough money in the bank to take out a credit card and on top of that, they don’t understand how to use the card, and sometimes these seniors get burned by family members. So let us not put our senior citizens at risk because not everyone fully understands the online complication.”

He instead recommended that the JPS reopens the office while it executes a public education campaign and in the meantime, “establish Kiosks in some supermarkets, pharmacies and other prominent locations with a representative to assist persons to transact their business”.

Kareen Jackson, Customer Service Manager for Clarendon and Manchester said the closure was necessary, as the number of people visiting the office to do business had decreased significantly.

“We have not been having face-to-face interaction since last September; instead customers are encouraged to use a drop-box system or a courtesy telephone.

“Customers can also contact JPS by using the webchat option as well as to contact the company via its 24-hour customer care call centre,” she said, noting that payments are not only made at JPS offices, but can be made at other bill payment outlets.