The Editor, Sir:

Like most Jamaicans, there is no love lost for the JPS and I look forward to the analysis of its charges, which the PM has ordered the OUR to conduct. But, over the last two days, I have been puzzled by what looks to me like a strange tale of two companies being urged on in a public 'cass-cass' by a minister common to both.

Petrojam, the oil refinery, is a wholly owned state company under Mr Mullings' ministry. The government owns, I believe, 20 per cent of JPS and is a partner with the Japanese. Mr Mullings has several directors on the board of the utility. You would believe the directors would be informing the minister of the state of affairs of the JPS.

Yet, curiously, barely a day after the PM orders his probe, the minister is in Parliament making a grand announcement that the JPS owes Petrojam, the other company for which he is fully responsible, billions of dollars. You would think he is the one to broker a settlement between them. Instead, on radio, he proceeds to advise that Petrojam should sue the JPS for its money.

historic partnership

Further, if my memory is correct, wasn't it Minister Mullings who, only a few months ago, was heralding a historic partnership between the said JPS and Petrojam to build a petcoke power plant? That's laughable. If the two companies can't settle outstanding bills in private with a common minister between them, I can't imagine how they could collaborate on a multibillion-dollar project. It seems to me that if the minister doesn't know anything about what's happening at the power company on whose board he indirectly sits, the PM ought to extend his analysis to include the minister's competence.

It seems to me the JPS keeps harping on high fuel prices for out-of-whack bills and though I'm not inclined to listen to monopolies, the fact is, prices are hardly budging at the pumps, too.

I am, etc.,

SEAN WALKER

loveJAbad@gmail.com

Kingston