GEBE Temporary Manager Iris Arrindell (left) receives and signs the petition from ACP-SXM legal representative Valya Pantophlet (right) on Monday at the end of the peaceful protest march. (Robert Luckock photo)
PHILIPSBURG--Association for Consumer Protection St. Maarten (ACP-SXM) President Peggy-Ann Richardson told participants at the end of Monday’s peaceful protest march highlighting consumer concerns and complaints against GEBE, that the first two points on ACP’s nine-point petition are absolutely “non-negotiable”.
The first is to reverse the unauthorised, unlawful, retroactive-applied fuel clause and the second point: suspend residential utilities disconnection and reconnect all households. Richardson said these two points require “immediate action” and GEBE has seven days to comply. Her demands were greeted with cheers from the assembled crowd waiting in the hot sun on W.A. Nisbeth road.
The remaining seven points refer to transparency of the tariff methodology and the manner in which the fuel clause was calculated. Other points included: GEBE must hire an independent audit firm to review all consumer billing practices for the period affected by the cyberattack from March 2022; GEBE must develop and publish a customer service policy; it must develop and publish a restitution mechanism to compensate consumers for any improper and excessive amounts that were collected; GEBE must adopt and implement a formal vulnerable customer protection policy that provides specific safeguards for low income households, seniors, medically-dependent persons with and households with children.
“It’s time to respect our seniors in this community. It is on the backs and shoulders of seniors that we are where we are today,” Richardson stressed to louder cheers. “GEBE must cooperate fully with all competent regulatory, supervisory and oversight bodies. Gone are the days when GEBE can say we are cooperating.
“They must cooperate to give proper insight, including timely provision of information and all documentation related to the tariff, and they must prepare and publish a clear infrastructure and service reliability plan outlining short and medium term measures designed for continuity and reliability of electricity and water. And it's high time GEBE gets serious about renewable energies.”
Richardson emerged from a meeting with the GEBE Management board after the petition was presented to temporary GEBE Manager Iris Arrindell, appointed by the supervisory board, who signed for receipt of it. This exchange passed off in a cordial manner, with Arrindell’s presence receiving a round of applause.
“We acknowledge your presence this afternoon,” Arrindell told the crowd. “We understand that you are frustrated. We will listen to your concerns and get back to you. Don’t believe for one moment that we don’t want this situation fixed. The quicker we can fix this, the quicker we can get your trust back,” she said before going into the meeting with her support team.
The meeting took about an hour, with Richardson telling the crowd not to wait if they didn’t want to, but the majority of participants did wait for news, some sheltering from the sun under the GEBE tent or in a shaded area. ACP members handed out many bottles of water during the afternoon.
