Energy minister shuts down ‘unacceptable’ JPS timelines, tells them to get the job done sooner
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Energy Minister Daryl Vaz says he has directed the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to do what is necessary to return light, in the shortest time possible, to the thousands of Jamaicans who have been without electricity since the passing of Hurricane Beryl on July 3.
Vaz gave the directive during a meeting on Friday with JPS managers and directors and a team from the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport.
Providing a status update during the meeting, JPS indicated that approximately 25,567 of 692,489, customers across the island are still without electricity. It added that several National Water Commission (NWC) pumps and National Irrigation Commission (NIC) pumps used for farming irrigation are also still without electricity.
“They are giving me timelines that will take us from the end of July to the 12th of August for certain parishes. I have indicated to them that that is not acceptable and that we have to find ways to make up from the long time and obviously increase the workforce and that would mean additional, external linesmen,” Vaz said.
The minister explained further, “It would mean, on my recommendation, the revision of certain rates that are being paid to the contractors and getting new contractors who were not willing to work for the rates that were being offered by JPS to come on track, so in essence I have told them that they need to find a way to incentivise the workers and the contractors so that we can get this over and complete in the shortest possible time.”
“Three weeks with another three weeks in some areas is too much,” he added.
Vaz said he is expecting a revised report to present to Cabinet on Monday.
“People are suffering and I want to restore normality to the lives of the Jamaican people in the shortest possible time which means we have to do things in a disaster that would not necessarily be done in normal times. It’s as simple as that,” the minister said.
The ministry said it will continue to work closely with JPS to monitor the situation and support the recovery efforts as needed.
