Vaz pleads for JLP votes to negotiate next JPS licence
AINSWORTH MORRIS / Our Today
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With the licence between the Government and the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) up for renewal in 2027, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz is appealing for Jamaicans to vote in the Andrew Holness administration for a third term, as he claimed that is critical for the saving grace of the next contract negotiation with the monopoly.
In July, the JLP-led Government outwardly stated that it will not renew the light-and-power company’s current all-island licence under the existing terms upon its expiration on July 8, 2027.
“It’s the first time that a Labour Party Government will have the opportunity to negotiate a brand new licence. The PNP had it in 2001 and 2016, and my commitment to you is that this Government will negotiate a licence that benefits you, the long-suffering JPS customers for 25 years,” Vaz said at the JLP Mass Rally at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay on Sunday (August 24).
“So, mek up yu mind whether you want Phillip Paulwell, who negotiated the last one… or you going to make Andrew Holness and Daryl Vaz and the Labour Party Cabinet [negotiate this time around],” he said.
The issue of electricity bills has been vexing for many Jamaicans for decades, as the island grapples with one of the highest residential prices in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Additionally, following the passage of Hurricane Beryl a year ago, Vaz put fire under the JPS for poor quality of service and maintenance offered to the nation.
The minister, back in July at a special press conference, said the formal notice given to JPS would allow the Government the remaining years of the existing JPS concession to implement holistic changes.
According to him, this is through the development of a long-term plan to create a modern and efficient electrical power system that is more dependable and creates a sustainable pathway towards lower electricity prices for Jamaican households and businesses.
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