ALLIGATOR POND, Manchester — Electricity provider Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) is coming under pressure after a two-day power cut left residents and business operators in this south coast fishing village fuming at what they describe as heavy losses.

While no estimate of the damages being sought caused by spoilage was available up to Tuesday afternoon, the victims say they are demanding compensation from JPS.

They identified fish, chicken and ice cream among a range of items which had to be discarded.

When contacted by the Jamaica Observer yesterday afternoon, JPS’s Director of Communications Winsome Callum said customers should, first of all, submit their claims. Until the Observer made contact, she knew nothing of the problem, Callum said.

“There is a standard claims process that any customer can use if they think that they have suffered some damage as a result of something on the part of JPS, and this [claims process] would be for them to submit a formal claim in writing to the JPS claims department,” she advised.

One resident, Carolyn Williams, said the power went from about 9:00 pm on Saturday.

“We pay our light bill on time. Those things are not fair. I am a fish vendor and everything melt out. I had to be asking people to trust them from me just to keep my business going… We have to work so hard to pay our bills and when our bills are not paid you guys [JPS] come and cut our light,” she said.

The power was restored sometime after 7:00 pm on Monday.

Another resident shared similar sentiments regarding the power outage.

“The fridge full of fish and chicken and me have to take dem and dash dem weh. All mi liquor inna mi shop mi haffi give weh dem…. As one current bill come, we haffi find the money fi pay for it. We the people need some justice,” she said.

Educator Omar Robinson, who is aspiring to represent the People’s National Party in the Alligator Pond Division, is calling on JPS to compensate the affected residents and small business owners.

“JPS must and should compensate customers who can show that they really lost items based on [the company’s] negligence,” he said.

— Kasey Williams