EIGHT CUSTOMERS caught stealing electricity from the network of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) have been billed in excess of $50 million.
They include a Corporate Area-based juice factory, an apartment complex, a western Jamaica supermarket, a St. Mary restaurant, a small hotel and a government agency in St. Catherine.
AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN
"Some of them have been taken before the court, while others have agreed to pay back billing," explained Winsome Callum, the head of corporate communication at the light and power company which has been on an aggressive campaign to tackle electricity theft.
According to Ms. Callum, between January and April this year, the JPS lost just over $1 billion due to this problem. Preliminary investigations by the Revenue Protection Department of the JPS, showed that the eight entities in this latest case have either tapped power lines or made a direct connection. Head of the Revenue Protection Department, Major George Tate, said that the JPS has collected over $3 million out of the $50 million bill. He explained that some of the entities have made arrangements to pay while others are yet to come forward.
Last month, the JPS approved 5,000 applications under its amnesty programme for those without legal electricity connection. More than 50 per cent of the applicants came from Kingston and St. Andrew, with Spanish Town and Montego Bay accounting for the second and third highest number.
