Anyone who has been living in Barbados for the past five to seven years would have to agree that the cost of living has sky-rocketed and coping with rising prices in this economy is becoming more and more challenging with each passing day.
It is not surprising, then, that recent governments as well as opposition parties have publicly declared their intentions to fight the high and continuously increasing cost of living in Barbados but there is little to show by way of actual improvements vis-a-vis real lowering of prices at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. And no one can deny that the price of electricity that consumers are forced to pay in this country is perhaps the biggest and most troubling culprit!
Many critics of doing business in Barbados have argued time after time that Barbados is a “high-cost” society and that the cost of establishing and running a company in this beautiful country is way too high and often unattractive compared to several other jurisdictions in and out of the region. While that characterisation may very well be true generally, it is still possible for businesses to function in Barbados and be competitive because of the quality of the human resources this country possesses. But all of that competitive edge could soon be wiped clean off the investment surface if the current nightmares generated by rising prices for electricity is allowed to continue.
I wish to say in no uncertain terms to the Barbados Light & Power Company (BL&P): enough is enough! We the consumers of electricity in Barbados cannot continue to absorb your ridiculous electricity bills anymore!
We do not accept your feeble explanations for the continuously increasing electricity bills sent to us month after month. We cannot believe you can be so bold as to even contemplate a rate increase at this critical juncture in the country’s financial and economic life!
We ask that you institute your own version of structural and administrative adjustments to bring about greater efficiency in the production of electricity in Barbados so that consumers can benefit from lower prices — a promise made audaciously to the Press by the BL&P’s chief executive officer when he first assumed duties.
I believe the time has come for consumers of electricity in Barbados to rise up and take the fight to the BL&P as well as all others responsible for the current sad state of affairs when it comes to our electricity bills. If those who have to bear total responsibility for the fact that electricity bills all across the board have soared in recent times with no ease in sight fail to act, then, we as consumers must do whatever in our collective powers to protect our interests and well-being. It is time for us to “riot” against this menace in our society!
You see, electricity has to be seen as a national security issue in Barbados. It is only under that situation that prompt and effective action will be taken by the government to bring down the price of this vital commodity to consumers, island-wide.
The BL&P has demonstrated complete inability to reduce the cost of electricity to Barbadians despite all of the public pronouncements to do so. While that company continues to take full advantage of its monopoly status, consumers’ surplus is forever being eroded.
Therefore, to the BL&P, the government of Barbados, and anyone or any other institution responsibility for the high and unaffordable cost of electricity in this country, I say, unassumingly: End the lunacy now!
