The Editor, Sir:

As I remain hopeful (as many of us do) of the day when we shall see our utility bills being just a fraction of our income, I can't help but to express the story my sixth sense has to tell. It tells me that there are darker (literally) days to come as the Government intervenes and the monopoly hoists its chest to show who is the bigger of the two.

It is quite clear who is in the driver's seat, as it was business as usual, disconnecting electricity, despite the Minister Mullings' request for such to be delayed until the billing issue is resolved.

Question

While I applaud the minister for taking up the issue in Parliament, I can't refrain from asking the question of 'what took you so long?' His efforts, while appreciated, come thousands of dollars and many hungry nights later and now Jamaicans are playing the waiting game. I have a gut feeling that we are going to wait in vain.

The Office of Utility Regulation is then to be asked the question: 'At what rate is oil being sold to Jamaica Public Service (JPS)?' If they are equipped with such information (which they should) then the people of Jamaica would like to know if the rate stated on our monthly bills correlates with the purchasing cost of oil sold to JPS by Petrojam.

Shocked

Several weeks ago, while I sat and watched Prime Time News on TVJ, I was shocked to know that the JPS requested customers who cannot pay their bills in full to come in and set up payment arrangements. Do people really understand what that meant? For the sake of those who still seek clarity, let me tell it to you in layman terms. It means that you cannot afford electricity! It's no longer a right, rather a privilege bestowed to the haves and dream to be pursued by the have-nots.

Prime Minister Golding, I beg of you to keep the topic alive and allow the voters to stop regretting election day. They placed you there to safeguard their future but it seems their future is getting dark. There has to be a better way of thanking the citizens of Jamaica for their time spent walking to the polling station and messing up their fingers. Do you think you are doing enough to keep us out of the dark?

I am, etc.,

KAESTNER PRYCE

kaestner.pryce@gmail.com

Via Go-Jamaica