The Tribune

• Two PPP agreements expected for generation and transmission

• Union says it will ‘not allow another BTC to happen’

• Pike Corporation linked to contract for T&D

• Local petrol supplier link to power generation deal

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Editor

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) president Kyle Wilson said employees at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) have given “an outright NO” to the impending private public partnership (PPP) agreements for the utility company.

It is understood that in the next three months BPL will sign two PPP agreements, one for power generation and the other for transmission and distribution with the company only taking on backend transactions such as customer service and billings.

The transition will be phased in over 18 months and essentially split the utility into three.

Mr Wilson said that members believe the transition to be a “deal in the dark” as the government has not revealed the details of the deal to the employees or general public and its regulatory body the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has yet to weigh in on the deal.

He said: “Just pure pandemonium and frustration at BPL. We feel betrayed. After the meeting, I was given instructions by the membership that it’s a no, an outright no to this deal, this partnership or whatever they want to call it, especially in the face of what we perceive to be a deal in the dark.

“They refuse to turn over any documentation. We don’t believe that it’s done in accordance with the various laws and acts that govern electricity and national assets. We have not heard from URCA, we do not know what’s going on and you’re telling me in three months you’re just going to put the assets of Bahamians into foreign hands.

“These entities were put about by the visionaries and forefathers to be people driven now they are being profit driven. So we are saying no. We’re not going to allow another BTC to happen, another Wartsila to happen, we are saying no in its entirety.”

It is understood that the power generation will be contracted to a leading local petroleum product supplier, the transmission and distribution will be contracted to Pike Cooperation, whose chairman, Eric Pike, has ties to Sir Franklyn Wilson’s Jack Bay development.

The union chief said he first heard of the company when the Minister of Energy, JoBeth Coleby-Davis, told him in a meeting with himself and Christina Alston, former BPL COO, who now serves as a consultant for the Ministry

of Energy, that they were “doing business” with them. He said: “I’ve never heard of this company, never seen this company. I’ve never been to a table with them. I’ve just heard by the mouth of the Honourable Minister JoBeth Coleby that this is who they doing business with.

“And I ain’t see no paper. They telling me what the company ga do and they telling me, but Pike ain’t say nothing to me. They can’t speak for Pike. When did they become agents for Pike? And they ga tell me what Pike ga do with my future when they come here.

“When did these ministers and these people become agents for these companies to tell me what they can do and can’t show me what they will do in black and white. Show me what we agreed and sign to. They playing games with this country and its disheartening and a slap in the face what is taking place.”

He said that the deal was “shady” and that the government should have more access to funds and individuals that can assist the utility in again becoming profitable.

He said: “You’re trying to tell me a private company have more money than an entire government. A private company have access to people and engineers and craftsmen that an entire government. We have already proven there was a heyday in BPL, let’s go back to that day when BPL was profitable, and find out what was going on in the hands of the Bahamian people but we have too much foreign interference and they just want the money

“The people do not want this deal. And they know the people don’t want it and they know it’s a shady private deal in the dark that is probably not done in accordance with the law, probably not done and respected Utilities regulation Commission, probably not done with transparency. And that’s why everybody I tell hiding they hand and saying trust me, man, I gat something sweet for you.

Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday denied rumours that the BPL will be privatised and insisted that the government is bringing in “strategic partners” to generate the funds necessary to “fix” BPL.

He said: “We are not privatising BPL we will bring in some strategic partners, for the purposes of being able to find the necessary funding that we the government don’t have to address some of the issues that we have and it’s a lot of money required to fix BPL and we have to find an innovative and creative ways to get that done.”

Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth Coleby-Davis said on social media yesterday that changes are “long overdue” at the util- ity and that it will remain government owned.

She said: “Bahamians agree that big changes at BPL are long overdue.

“Our government’s Energy Reform Roadmap is a comprehensive plan to reduce prices for Bahamian families and businesses, increase reliability and efficiency, add cleaner sources of energy, upgrade and modernize our outdated grid, upskill and train Bahamian workers, and strengthen the financial position of BPL, which will remain a government-owned utility.”

The Office of the Prime Minister also released a statement yesterday noting that Mr Davis met with the union representatives for BPL, Mr Wilson and Mr Christopher Hanna, president of the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEMU), as well as Mr Obie Ferguson, president of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

The statement said there will be no layoffs and industrial agreements and worker benefits will be retained as the sector undergoes a “much-needed change”.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to assure them that as our government works to bring much-needed change to our energy sector, there will be no layoff of workers at Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), industrial agreements will continue to be honoured, and that commitments made to workers, including pension benefits, will be met,” said the Prime Minister’s Office.

“In fact, a critical element of our plans includes the training and upskilling of many of our specialised line staff at BPL. Modernising our electricity infrastructure is necessary to meet the goals of energy reform: lowering costs for families and businesses, increasing reliability, and using cleaner sources of energy. Invest- ing in our BPL workers will mean they are well-positioned to thrive in this evolving energy landscape.

“As we move forward together, we are grateful to the leaders and workers of BEWU and BEMU for their expertise, hard work, and dedication. We are committed to consulting closely with them and with other stakeholders as we work toward a brighter energy future.”