The morbid and draconian increase in electricity rates has come as a Leviathan attack on the people of Jamaica.

The increase of almost 30 per cent has come not only as a shock but also as an oppressive burden at a time when a great segment of the population is still trying to dig themselves out of the hole in which Hurricane Beryl blew them.

On the face of it, the increase is not only unconscionable but betrays a lack of empathy for the suffering of the people in the aftermath of the hurricane. If corporations are people, as US Senator Mitt Romney once alleged when he ran for presidential office, then it is not hard to see the narcissistic propensities of a company, a monopoly, like the Jamaica Public Service (JPS).

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has stated that JPS did not inform it of the increase; it heard about the increase only when it was mentioned on a newscast. Yet the JPS licence mandates it to discuss any increase over 5 per cent with that body. Why was this not done and why did a top executive of the company aver that such a consultation took place? Who are we to believe?
The JPS is certainly in a spot of bother, both with regard to the Nicodemus-like increase it has foisted on the people along with the plethora of excuses it is offering to defend itself.

JPS, in my opinion, seems to be of the view that as a monopoly it can easily get away with what feels like a sneak attack upon the people. But its actions have not missed the hawk-like eyes of Minister of Energy Daryl Vaz.

Such behaviour cannot be rewarded. Quite apart from its missed deadlines in the hurricane recovery effort, JPS is behaving as if it is a law unto itself. In a previous piece, this column commented on the need to break up the monopoly that is JPS. If its recent behaviour does not qualify for this reassessment of its monopolistic position, one hardly knows what else will.

What we see at JPS is all part of a larger picture that pervades the land. It is a mere symptom of that which ails us as a society. So, too, is the price gouging that is taking place throughout the length and breadth of the commercial sector. There is price inflation not only in goods but in the services that people are prepared to render. Beryl has come as a good excuse and, of course, the exchange rate is a constant companion. But there is no rhyme or reason why prices should be this ridiculously high in every sector of the economy. But people do it in the arbitrary way they do because they know that they can easily get away with it. There is no overarching authority to stop them, no watchdog with the requisite teeth to bite them. The consumer commission is either moribund or comatose.

There are certain social pathologies that are manifesting themselves at an alarming rate and with which the country will have to do battle. The senseless gun killings are just one representation of this. But there is a deep mental scarring in which, thanks a great deal to social media, a process of dehumanisation is taking place. This is manifested in the rigid individualism in which everyone thinks they are their own boss.

Individualism thus becomes a tool of social aggression and the social distancing that it spawns. The end result is the death of community and all its attendant social evils. Our social scientists have a lot of work to do to figure all this out. One of the places they may look is at the death of religion as a tool of social control. These social pathologies that bedevil us were long in coming but has been made worse by the pandemic. We are yet to come to terms with how this has upended the mental wellness of people around the world. We seem to be running out of time.

There is nothing Government alone can do. This is about the self-esteem and pride of each individual, which will eventually become part of a national consciousness that screams self-respect. It is about the relationships that we build and the ingredients that go into the building of those relationships. It is about a personal work ethic that says I cannot demand more for a piece of work for which I am not prepared to expend a great deal of energy. The mantra that says more pay with little sweat or effort adds to the problem.

This attitude is at the heart of the scamming that has overtaken the society. There are far too many who are not prepared to work as hard as their parents did. The work ethic of the retired workforce of say between 60-80 years old is fast disappearing from the Jamaican landscape.

To the extent that the easy way out is the dominant thinking of too many of your young people, then as they say in common parlance, our “corner dark”.

Dr Nigel Clarke’s Appointment

Dr Nigel Clarke, minister of finance, has been appointed a deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This is a signal achievement for Dr Clarke, Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean. It is a clear demonstration of the high esteem in which he is held by the international community. It should be no surprise that his talent would not go unnoticed.

He will be leaving a strong institutional framework for a good future for the Jamaican economy at the Ministry of Finance. There is still a lot of work to be done as we dig ourselves out of years of predatory politics which has severely retarded the growth of the economy. Minister Clarke is clearly one of the best, if not the best finance minister that Jamaica has had since Independence. His analytical ability to grasp difficult concepts and to see how different variables fit together to present a clearer picture of what ought to be will be sorely missed. Tackling the difficult subject of public sector salary reform is a case in point.

This column wishes whoever replaces him well. Congratulations to Dr Clarke as he takes on this new and significant assignment. He will now be operating on the world stage and Jamaica can only be proud of his achievement. Jamaica’s loss is the world’s gain. I wish him well.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He is hosts the podcast Mango Tree Dialogues on his YouTube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.