Dear Editor,
I am of the opinion that the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) serves no useful purpose, is inefficient, and should be dismantled forthwith by the Government.
All too frequently we hear callers to radio discussion programmes critising the OUR, indicating that they have contacted the OUR regarding serious problems they have been experiencing with utility companies and have received no assistance from the government-funded OUR, despite contacting them several times.
When the utility companies breach the laws and send faulty monthly bills to its customers, the OUR has no legal authority to get justice for such aggrieved customers and cannot lawfully impose any financial and monetary fine. The OUR has no authority to compel utility companies to address their customers’ concerns and service issues, which makes the OUR a grand waste of taxpayers’ monies. The OUR also has no capability to investigate customers complaints from utility companies and personally visit their homes regarding utility services issues.
I am appealing to Prime Minister Andrew Holness to take the appropriate decision to abolish the OUR.
Bad gas
Regarding the bad gas issue, I urge Energy Andrew Minister Wheatley to set up a new three-man committee to fully investigate that serious bad gas issue which affected hundreds of motorists across the country, and get to the source of the bad gas to ensure that it does not again surface in the country. If the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government does not fully investigate the issue, find the source, apply sanctions and inform the country accordingly, then bad gas could again find its way into gas station pumps at an even larger scale. We, the affected motorists of bad gas, should be compensated as well.
Taxi fare
The JLP Government has imposed a special consumption petrol tax of $7 per litre to fund its popular tax relief plan However, taxi operators are now demanding from the Government a taxi fare increase of 50 per cent. That small $7 petrol tax SCT increase will not negatively affect taxi operators and there is no need for a transport fare increase. A fare increase for taxi operators would drive up the inflation rate and have a negative effect on the economy. Be reasonable, taxi operators, and do not demand a fare increase when it is not necessary and commuters cannot afford any increase.
Frank L R Manborde
Chairman
Little London and Paul Island Community Development Council
Westmoreland
frankmanborde@mail.com
I am of the opinion that the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) serves no useful purpose, is inefficient, and should be dismantled forthwith by the Government.
All too frequently we hear callers to radio discussion programmes critising the OUR, indicating that they have contacted the OUR regarding serious problems they have been experiencing with utility companies and have received no assistance from the government-funded OUR, despite contacting them several times.
When the utility companies breach the laws and send faulty monthly bills to its customers, the OUR has no legal authority to get justice for such aggrieved customers and cannot lawfully impose any financial and monetary fine. The OUR has no authority to compel utility companies to address their customers’ concerns and service issues, which makes the OUR a grand waste of taxpayers’ monies. The OUR also has no capability to investigate customers complaints from utility companies and personally visit their homes regarding utility services issues.
I am appealing to Prime Minister Andrew Holness to take the appropriate decision to abolish the OUR.
Bad gas
Regarding the bad gas issue, I urge Energy Andrew Minister Wheatley to set up a new three-man committee to fully investigate that serious bad gas issue which affected hundreds of motorists across the country, and get to the source of the bad gas to ensure that it does not again surface in the country. If the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government does not fully investigate the issue, find the source, apply sanctions and inform the country accordingly, then bad gas could again find its way into gas station pumps at an even larger scale. We, the affected motorists of bad gas, should be compensated as well.
Taxi fare
The JLP Government has imposed a special consumption petrol tax of $7 per litre to fund its popular tax relief plan However, taxi operators are now demanding from the Government a taxi fare increase of 50 per cent. That small $7 petrol tax SCT increase will not negatively affect taxi operators and there is no need for a transport fare increase. A fare increase for taxi operators would drive up the inflation rate and have a negative effect on the economy. Be reasonable, taxi operators, and do not demand a fare increase when it is not necessary and commuters cannot afford any increase.
Frank L R Manborde
Chairman
Little London and Paul Island Community Development Council
Westmoreland
frankmanborde@mail.com