BWA WARNING
THE Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has threatened to get tough with those consumers who refuse to pay the full amount on their water bills, which include
the Garbage and Sewerage Contribution (GSC) which started in August.
Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Wilfred Abrahams, and Chairman of the BWA, Leodean Worrell, issued the warnings yesterday during a news conference in the Parliament Buildings, saying that the service of delinquent customers will be disconnected.
The Chairman noted that arrears to the BWA currently total approximately $15 million, while there has been a 40 per cent reduction in revenue coming to the Authority since the introduction of the GSC.
The two officials said that the BWA has responsibility for collecting the GSC which appears on the water bills.
“It is not BWA tax, but a mechanism by the Ministry of Finance, and all that is happening is the BWA is the collection agency for it,” he explained.
However, what has been happening is that people are paying their water bills but have been shying away from paying the tax.
“If the GSC is not paid, then your water bill is short by that amount, and when those arrears increase your service will be disconnected,” the Minister said.
“And I am saying now that unless you apply to get relief through the Relief Board, your decision for not paying the GFC is illegal, and if water is disconnected, please do not call me!” he advised.
The Chairman said that one of the things they will be doing is preparing correspondence to be distributed to political representatives in Barbados to notify their constituents that the BWA is actively addressing the issues with the arrears, since the authority can no longer rely on Central Government for support.
She said that those individuals who have problems paying their arrears need to get in touch with the BWA’s Customer Service Department so that some arrangement can be worked out on their behalf.
“But we as a country have to address our priorities and the BWA can no longer be expected to carry that load,” she told the media noting that those in arrears who do not contact the Authority they will be handled differently.
“If you owe the commercial banks money on your mortgage and you do not pay they demand you pay, and the equivalent of that demand is our disconnection notice,” she cautioned.