MPs are engaged in an ongoing battle with the Water & Sewerage Authority (WASA) over the high water rates being charged to their constituency offices.WASA is charging constituency offices commercial rates because they are being seen as public authorities, Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert said yesterday."WASA keeps sending us horrendous bills," he said, quoting one bill as $11,000.
Imbert made the disclosure in Parliament yesterday during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, which he chaired.He has complained to the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) which sets rates for WASA and the T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC).He said: "The ministry is a public authority, not an MP. MPs' offices should not be charged commercial rates."Who do I complain to as an MP who is being overcharged?" he asked RIC executive director Harjinder Singh-Atwal.
Imbert said he was sure non-governmental organisations also were being charged commercial rates even though they were non-commercial entities.Earlier, Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial complained that the electricity supply at the Waterloo community centre in her constituency was cut off because members of the village council could not pay T&TEC's high commercial rate.Ramdial is Minister of State in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
Sport Minister Anil Roberts, cutting in, said he could never understand how a community centre could be considered a commercial entity. One of the best ways to equitably share oil and natural gas resources among a small population was to subsidise electricity rates, he added.Roberts said schools, which were charged commercial rates, had complained their electricity supply was cut off."In what country, on God's green earth could a school be considered a commercial property?" Roberts asked.
He wanted to know if the managers of centres for battered women, who were running from abuse and had no money, had to pay commercial rates."Somebody has to tell me if that's how it's being done and that it's going to stop next week," he added.The RIC's Web site says it is a statutory body which succeeded the Public Utilities Commission in 2000 and is a consumer-oriented entity with strong regulatory powers and responsibilities.
"The RIC has been established to ensure good quality and efficient utility services are provided at fair and reasonable costs in T&T," the Web site adds. Its functions include investigating complaints by consumers of their failure to obtain redress from service providers
But in reality, it appears the RIC could not help consumers of electricity and water who felt they were being overcharged, the PAC concluded.
Singh-Atwal, responding to queries from MPs, said it was T&TEC that determined what categories consumers were put in on the basis of the amount of electricity they used.He added: "It is solely up to T&TEC. We determine revenues. In the case of WASA, the RIC can make a determination on which categories consumers fall into."
Nadia John, legal and corporate secretary, reasoned, however, that the RIC was a creature of statute and could not act ultra vires."Our act said we can only facilitate relief (for complaining customers). We can facilitate relief but it's difficult, nebulous. Our hands are a bit tied. If the act is amended..." John added.Roberts wanted to know if, then, relief for complaining consumers constituted a hug and an "I love you."
At the end of the session, Imbert said:, "It appears all the RIC does is sets rates. If somebody feels he is in the wrong rate classification, the RIC can't do anything."Imbert suggested the RIC considered draft legislation to begin the process of changing its laws and giving it more teeth.