EXTORTION EVERYWHERE

Ever since the onslaught downtown , the issue of extortion has again been highlighted. However, it is not only goons downtown who use extra ordinary practices against the hapless citizens of the country, but also some utility companies. My recent dealings with the National Water Commission (NWC) has brought this forcefully back to mind. Since the water lock offs began in March 2010, my bills started showing increases in consumption of between 600% and 700%. 

Naturally, I immediately took the matter up with the proper authorities and being aware of the fact that the NWC, like vicious extortionist, sometimes uses strong arm methods such as locking off supplies thus endangering lives, (remember water is life!) to try and squeeze money from hapless consumers, I also informed the Offices of Utilities Commission (OUR) of the situation. Would you believe all that did not help for after getting a letter from Ms. Jennifer Wright, Manager – Business Support Services, in late May that the matter was being investigated and hearing nothing further despite a follow up email to the Consumer Affairs Commission, I arrived home just in time on Thursday 3rd June to see NWC officers armed with disconnection notice for my property. I have been informed by the Consumer Affairs Commission that this is a regular practice by the NWC.....in other words, just like the downtown extortionists who beat up little old ladies selling on the sidewalks, burglarize or set fire to your premises if you do not pay, the NWC will cut off your service to force you to pay for what they have not supplied, although the matter is supposedly under investigation. Today's financial Gleaner has an article entitled " Drought drains NWC revenue."

This is no doubt a strategy by their public relations department setting the stage to demand that taxpayers be called on to bail them out. I however maintain that the losses at the NWC are mainly due to staff incompetence, not drought. For example, is the department charged with recouping money from persons who illegally connect to the NWC, giving the organization value for money? What about the department being paid to fix leaks and breaks in the mains on a timely basis? Is that department performing up to the required standard? Then there is my bugbear, what really was the justification for in excess of half billion dollars being used to supposedly set up a new billing system? Exactly what is the company getting for that huge unwarranted expenditure ? Has it proven to be an asset or liability?

 I am also very curious as to why the very curious Contractor General has never seen it fit to look into that particular contract which comes over as being extremely exorbitant, but I guess that's a topic for another day. It seems to me that there needs to be a serious investigation into the operations at the National Water Commission for rather than they striving for efficiency and exercising more care before throwing large sums at questionable programmes, they are trying to take the easy way out.....extortion..

I hope the ministry of water and housing know they will be held fully responsible for the unsavoury revelations which must emerge in the near future when taxpayers are called on to once again write off a huge debt there, as happened some years ago when we were forced to hug up their four billion dollar debt. Yes extortion is rife in Jamaica but unfortunately, too many of us seem to want to continue feeding it by paying up instead of standing up.