I.D.B. funds P.U.C. strengthening
Prime Minister Said Musa was not the only one answering questions today. Speaking at a ceremony inaugurating a million-dollar-plus project to improve the abilities of the Public Utilities Commission, P.U.C. chairman Gilly Canton admitted that the first few years of his tenure have been hectic. Acknowledging a full plate of issues with private purveyors of water, electricity and telecom services, Dr. Canton told News 5 that the P.U.C. is getting stronger by the day and is ready to perform its crucial role.
Dr. Gilly Canton, Chairman, P.U.C.
?I think that yes, we are up to the task. I think that we need to be strengthened, but what we are trying to achieve during this process is to help us get that task accomplished. We have done a lot in terms of human resource development, getting good staff on board and training them. We have done a lot in trying to set up by regulations, the different procedures in which we go through full tariff so that they are transparent to the public. But what we are going to do with this project is get that strategic help. For example, we want to look at the rate setting methodology for the full tariff preview proceedings coming up for BEL. Well we need to get somebody in who has that world wide experience of what rate setting methodology would be appropriate for a situation in Belize would be like and then work closely with our P.U.C. director to get that accomplished. So it’s our in house rate setting methodology that applies specifically to our conditions in Belize.?
Stewart Krohn
?In your remarks today, you took a little swipe at the media perhaps for not explaining to the public properly the real role and function of the P.U.C. Here is a shot now, what you have to say to the public regarding what they ought to expect from the P.U.C.??
Dr. Gilly Canton
?Well what the P.U.C. is there to do is to fairly balance through effective regulation of the utility sector. What I mean by that is that we are not a consumer advocacy body; we have to protect the consumer. But that has to be balanced with also making sure that the utility provider is financial viable to be able to provide that service and then we have to look at it in the context of Government policy. So all these three things we have to look at and balance.
The nearly one point five million dollar project, which includes a one million dollar grant from the I.D.B., will provide the P.U.C. with technical assistance to strengthen its operational capabilities, establish an integrated management system and improve utilities regulation, including monitoring and compliance. Canton said that the P.U.C. welcomes inquiries and complaints from consumers.
