By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller said the company has collected enough money from “delinquent accounts from hotels out west” to pay towards BEC’s outstanding $55m fuel bill.
Mr Miller told The Tribune yesterday he had several productive meetings with hotel executives, including the president of the Baha Mar resort, which resulted in the corporation being paid more than $7m in outstanding electricity payments. He said officials have come to an “agreement” with the hotels to pay “something” every week until their outstanding debt is paid off. He expects BEC to collect another $7m to $8m this week from the hotels.
Last Wednesday, Mr Miller told the House of Assembly that if the corporation did not pay off a $55m fuel bill by the end of the month, the entire country would be “without electricity”.
His comments came as he defended an earlier threat to shut off power to three major hotels in western New Providence for outstanding bills.
“I met with those hotels,” Mr Miller said yesterday, “and we have come to an agreement”.
“I spoke with the president of Baha Mar and now we are all on the same page. I also had a long discussion with the other two major hotels out west about how things are now and what needs to be done and everyone has agreed to work with BEC. We got $7 million last week and this week we should be getting another seven or eight (million dollars) so we should be okay to make those payments.
“All went well and we are now on the same page. I told them they had an obligation and we have an obligation. They were not offended and assured us they are prepared to work with us. So we should be fine; we will be able to pay our fuel bill for now.”
Last week, Mr Miller said he had no regrets over his recent threat of disconnection to three hotels in western New Providence despite contradictory statements made by Works Minister Philip Davis.
In the House of Assembly, Mr Miller said: “I was on a talk show and the question came up with one of the Bahamians who called that they were in dire stress and their light was off for a while. They wanted to know how was it that I kept complaining to the public that Bahamians are being turned off, more than 4,000 are still without light and some of the major entities in the Bahamas continue to enjoy benefits without any payments.
“I then indicated that those entities, the major entities, that is the hotel sector in this country would either pay their (bill) or I would go to the extreme measure of having them disconnected. I realised that my minister, and probably the Prime Minister, were going a little nuts saying that ‘Miller going crazy’ by attempting to cut off these major suppliers, but it was necessary to make those threats.
“BEC is in a very tough financial situation right now where our suppliers are telling us that unless we come up with $55 million by the end of the month we will not get any fuel, so the whole Bahamas will be without electricity.”
Mr Miller has since said that BEC will never be out of fuel and the country will never be without electricity.
Comments
ChaosObserver 9 years, 7 months ago
Time for another company/person to run this power company!
NoNoNo 9 years, 7 months ago
I know right.
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JohnDoes 9 years, 7 months ago
It seems as if every successful business/hotel in the Bahamas has outstanding bills that needs payment whether it is light and/or property. To even let a 'hotel(s)' conjure bills arising to more than $7m is completely outrageous; yet, instead of cracking down on them when their arrears arise to more than $150, they rather disconnect and crack down on the peasants who are already burdened by this country's mistakes for as little as $50. Something is wrong here, dead wrong in this country we call home.
spoitier 9 years, 7 months ago
The Bahamas run a slack ship, most people think that they could get away without paying their bills, from leaders high up in government to the small man so I guess the foreigner thinks that's the way it is in the Bahamas so they don't have to pay either.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 7 months ago
This idiot Miller would like to have us all think that he and the delinquent hotels have done us a favour by paying a portion of what they owe. Bullocks and bollocks! These seriously delinquent non-payers (including Miller himself) should have never been behind in paying their electricity bills to begin with. Is BEC going to collect interest from these dead beat customers to cover the overdraft and loan interest it has had to pay to various banks as a result of the uncollected receivables? Who has allowed these delinquent customers to run up such huge bills? Rumours abound that the PM (Christie) himself has tacitly approved a list of customers not to be disconnected no matter how much they may owe BEC. This list or any other similar list in the Minister's or BEC's possession should be made public for all to see. Christie, the Minister responsible for BEC and BEC's Board (including Chairman Miller) all need to be held to explain and account for the quid pro quo that must have existed (and no doubt still exits) for these delinquent customers to feel safe in the non-payment of millions of dollars in past due amounts that they have owed and still owe BEC. The hotels concerned are clearly not good corporate residents of the Bahamas and one has to wonder about the honesty and integrity of their senior management team members and their owners. None of this augurs well for the standing of a resort like Baha Mar in the eyes of most over-taxed Bahamian voters who suffer the severest of consequences when they do not pay their own bills on time! The voters need to make sure Christie and the Stalwart Councillors of the PLP are banished from the political scene forever come the next general election. This can only be done by a landslide vote against the PLP in the next general election followed by the opening up of aggressive investigations into the corrupt practices of the party and its leadership. The investigations should not only seek retribution for crimes against our society but also aim to claw back as much stolen "wealth" as possible from the individuals who have benefited most from the wide spread corruption!
duppyVAT 9 years, 7 months ago
The political and civilian directorate who are running BEC should be indicted for crimes against Bahamians. Is it true that Kevin Basden has retired?
TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago
Is it possible the Ministry of Finance will toss some them cheques into the same safe where they keep all the other MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in "uncashed" corporate and personal cheques. It's being going on long before this PLP administration were returned to power. Cheques for anything from real property taxes, business licensing fees, government loans, all locked away with no intentions of processing for payment. Comrades, if you only knew how many "uncashed" millions sit in that well protected safe and whose names are on them? Neither government seemed eager to talk about what in the hell ever happened to the many millions it has been alleged was collected by someone when they sold the government's "peoples" Freeport shares?
by TalRussell
GrassRoot 9 years, 7 months ago
how about open government tabs with BEC?
GrassRoot 9 years, 7 months ago
surprisingly the Government entertains negotiations with the Chinese controlling and financing Bahamar for other projects in the Bahamas? I suggest to let them pay up before anything else happens.
concernedcitizen 9 years, 7 months ago
THIS IS A BUNCH OF NONSENSE AND FICTION TO MAKE BAHAMIANS FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEIR OUTRAGEOUS BEC BILLS FOR SUCH SH@@TTY SERVICE .IT IS THE PLPS STOCK IN TRADE TO DIVERT ATTENTION TO THE POVERBIAL STRAWMAN ,THE BAD WHITE FOREIGNER ,THAT WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR BLACK BAHAMIAN IF NOT FOR THE PLP : WHILE IN THE MEAN TIME THEY ROB US BLIND
concernedcitizen 9 years, 7 months ago
THE MOST DISAPPOINTING PART IS THAT FROM THE LATE 80,S WE HAVEN,T SEEN THROUGH THIS PLOY ,,,
PKMShack 9 years, 7 months ago
@ concern it's not we its you and others if you fall for it
TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago
by TalRussell
The_Oracle 9 years, 7 months ago
Is this how these people were taught to run a business? Hotels or Power companies, any ass can make a million if they do not pay their bills!!!!
Like letting Government departments run into 120days on account, crap on that! CUT THEM OFF! BS on this Political posterior kissing inside tracking favor seeking self serving old boys club garbage. It is this that has caused VAT, massive debt, over $5 billion Crappy infrastructure, sellout politicians with no public acountability. and every other terminal illness this country suffers from. Rant off.
John 9 years, 7 months ago
When will the double standard stop. Mom and pop shop gets disconnected for a $200.00 hill. Luxury hotel owes in excess of $20 mill and allowed to "put sup'um on it"
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