September 18, 2000 - St. Lucians will get a clearer picture of the future of Lucelec on October 5. That’s when the Chairman of the Lucelec Review Commission and his team present their final report to Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony in Castries.  Commission Chairman Professor K.S. Julien informed the Prime Minister last month that the report would be ready by the end of this month. Accordingly, arrangements have been made for presentation of the report at the Office of the Prime Minister at 10am on October 5, by Professor Julien and the two other members of the commission, J.F. Huggins and F.O. McConney.

Cabinet is anxiously awaiting the report of the Commission, which was set up jointly by the Government and the Board of Directors of Lucelec to examine various aspects of the functions of the island’s lone electricity company. But in the meantime, there continue to be increasing public complaints across the country about Lucelec’s billing system and rising fuel surcharge costs.

Public Utilities Minister, Senator George says his ministry has of late been receiving a flood of complaints against Lucelec’s use of a system of billing based on estimated monthly averages of the number of units consumed. He said recently that many consumers have complained to the Public Utilities Department of his Ministry that the average monthly estimate was usually higher than that recorded by their meters for the particular month. Others also complained of problems getting answers to their questions about "arrears" they were billed for.

Minister of Commerce Philip J. Pierre said this past week that he too had received complaints from the private sector and other entities about both the billing system and the fuel surcharge. He described it as "an ambiguous billing cycle…and exorbitant fuel surcharge" and called on the company to respond.

Lucelec explained the billing system was resorted to because its rapidly expanding customer base was growing too fast to allow for monthly readings of all meters across the country. The company claimed the estimated billing system was in fact intended "to make the service more cost-effective to the average consumer".

But the island’s lone electricity company defended its fuel surcharge, claiming it was "a near universal component of electricity tariffs worldwide" that "does not constitute an extra cost to the consumer" or "extra profit" for the company.

The Public Utilities Minister says, however, that government is committed to address the complaints of consumers, which were growing island-wide. He said this week that the after reviewing the Review Commission’s Report, government will be in a position to assess its contents and recommendations and take whatever steps may become necessary in the circumstances, after all due considerations have been made.

With regards to water, Senator George says government had taken several steps to improve the sector, including borrowing to pay-off the debt of the old WASA and the creation of the new entity, WASCO. New structures have been put in place and the new company has offered an amnesty on old debts while working on a new tariff structure. Old and defective meters are being replaced by WASCO and plans are on the drawing board for new pipelines, including one from Bananes Bay to Gros Islet, which will address the water woes of the island’s north.

Mr. George told farmers last week the water problems being experienced in the northern tourism and residential belt were the result of "short-sighted planning" that did not take into consideration the rapid growth and expansion in demand in that part of the island. The senator promised that water delivery will be improved in the north after the new pipelines were laid and water quality will be improved in the south of the island wherever it was found wanting. Mr. George said he was confident that government’s investments in and plans for the water sector will definitely result in an overall improvement of the service islandwide.

Meanwhile, top government officials say they are satisfied the Administration’s promises of a better deal for consumers from each of the island’s three major public utility companies are bearing fruit by way of better rates and improved efficiency. But they insist the battle is not yet over.

The Prime Minister has noted "the government’s continuing efforts, through a combination of negotiation and persuasion, to get cheaper and more efficient telephone and communications services for consumers." Dr Anthony said government was "part of a regional effort towards telecommunications reform and our engagements with Cable & Wireless have to be seen in that light." However, he added, "despite the progress achieved so far through such developments as the abolition of the 5% tax on telephone calls, the lower overseas rates and in reducing the number of zones across the country from eight to three, government remains committed to abolition of the trunk call system in its entirety."