P.U.C. to announce initial decision on B.E.L. price hike Friday

It doesn’t come as a much of a surprise but according to the Public Utilities Commission, the public’s response to Belize Electricity Limited’s request for a rate increase is a big fat “No!”. According to a press release issued by the P.U.C., three hundred and fifty written comments were sent in as part of the Annual Review Proceeding on B.E.L.’s prices and the business owners, hoteliers, fishermen, community leaders and politicians all asked that the commission deny the request. The P.U.C. states:

“Comments from the business community identified electricity costs as the highest operating expense in many businesses while non-governmental organizations, civic and political entities writing on behalf of their memberships expressed concern that consumers will not be able to afford an increase in rates”.

B.E.L. is asking that the mean electricity rate be increased by thirteen point four percent to fifty cents per kilowatt hour. The P.U.C. will announce its initial decision in the A.R.P. by Friday.