PHILIPSBURG--Utilities company NV GEBE has paused the disconnection of non-paying consumers that had been scheduled for Monday, June 29, following what it described as a fruitful meeting with representatives of the Association for Consumer Protection St Maarten (ACP-SXM) on Friday, June 26.
The utility company announced the decision in a statement issued Friday, saying it will first develop a temporary collection policy before resuming disconnections.
According to GEBE, while the company already has a collection procedure in place that includes disconnecting non-paying consumers, discussions with ACP-SXM revealed that the procedure "may not be generally known to all of its consumers."
The company said this highlighted the need for better communication about its collection procedures. GEBE also acknowledged concerns among some consumers regarding invoices related to the period when the company experienced computer issues due to a hack.
The company said it will first draft a temporary policy focusing on invoices "where this concern does not play a role."
The temporary policy will be announced in writing, after which collection and disconnection procedures will be carried out in accordance with that policy. GEBE said that once the temporary collection procedure has been implemented, it will move to a more comprehensive collection procedure that includes all outstanding invoices.
According to the company, both the temporary and permanent collection policies will be drafted taking into account feedback received from ACP-SXM. GEBE added that both policies will be properly announced when they are implemented.
