The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has urged the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to retract the significant increases in electricity bills dispatched to customers during the current billing cycle.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the JLP highlighted a recent announcement by JPS, attributing the hike to a temporary rise in fuel costs. The increases stemmed from the company’s reliance on Automotive Diesel Oil (ADO) in preparation for Hurricane Beryl.
Expressing strong dissent, the JLP declared that it does not condone JPS’s decision to pass on temporary fuel cost surges to consumers. “In light of a natural disaster, imposing such heavy additional costs on Jamaicans is unconscionable and unacceptable. Enough is enough,” asserted Kerensia Morrison, JLP spokesperson and Member of Parliament for North East St Catherine.
Morrison emphasized the particularly troubling reports of substantial bill increases for customers who have experienced prolonged power outages. She reiterated the party’s support for Energy Minister Daryl Vaz’s initiatives to engage the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to hold JPS accountable for these controversial bill hikes.
Morrison urged further legislative action to enhance oversight and accountability of utility companies in Jamaica. Meanwhile, she called on JPS to exercise good judgment and promptly withdraw the announced increases. “We strongly urge JPS to act in good conscience and immediately roll back these increases,” she stated.
The JLP’s stand signals its unwavering commitment to protecting Jamaican consumers from disproportionate and unjustified financial burdens imposed under the guise of temporary operational costs.
