Increasing Utility Bills on Ambergris Caye

Oscar Iboy

You met him last week when he organized a four-man protest in front of the San Pedro Town Council Office on Ambergris Caye clamouring for assistance from the mayor and the government on behalf of island residents who have been devastated by the effects of COVID-19.  Well tonight, Oscar Iboy is back in the news; this time, he is speaking out about high utility bills. Residents are denouncing the utility charges, saying that even though they are not at home and off the island, they are still getting bills. Iboy says he is asking for government’s intervention.

Oscar Iboy, San Pedro Resident

“We have the cry of Belizean people getting high bills that don’t add up. For example, you have people that have condos that are not even in the country, some people who are not even staying in the home, getting high bills—higher than when they were in there. I want to ask on behalf of the Belizean people to our area representative, the minister, our mayor, the Prime Minister of Belize. I want to make it clear, this is not a political attack; I am just here asking for help on behalf of the Belizean people. We are getting tired of this and the worst part is that the bills are higher and we don’t have any money to pay these bills. So we are asking to please intervene.  I have a bill of mine, personally that I got. For the last couple of months, I have been paying ninety-five, ninety-two dollars and I have been on lock down and now I got a bill for two hundred and twenty-six dollars. That’s not adding up. It is a total difference from what I have been paying. So I ask the government or anyone to come and to please come and do an investigation into the utility companies. You need to do a proper investigation. You cannot just allow them to rip off the people like this because there is evidence out there, people that are staying in the house and the bills are piling up. So I ask you once again, please intervene for us.”