From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
This Day in the Bahamian Parliament: 11th November, 2015
By Elcott Coleby, BIS
Nov 11, 2015 - 5:21:00 PM
The House assembly met on Wednesday, 11th
November 2015 at 10am and below is a summary of the House proceedings under the
agenda item, “Statements by Ministers.”
Foreign Minister the
Hon. Fred Mitchell responded to media commentary attributed to Anglican Bishop the Rev. Laish
Boyd on matters of citizenship. He also responded to a Nassau Guardian
editorial on the same topic.
Mr. Mitchell denied any acts of unfairness on his part in
the application of the law and policy as regards immigration and citizenship
specifically. He said the banker, butler and candlestick maker were all subject
to the law. He invited those with evidence to the contrary to present the same.
He welcomed a process devoid of political intervention, an
independent Citizenship Commission and publicly invited the Lord Bishop of the
Anglican Church to lead the public discussion on the most appropriate process
for the granting of Bahamian citizenships.
The
Minister also paid tribute to and addressed concerns raised by our war
veterans about the planning of the remembrance day service and pension
matters.
Prime Minister the
Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie delivered the first reading of the
National Honours Bill 2015. This Bill effectively replaces the National Honours
Act 2007 and the National Heroes Act 2007.
Unlike
the 2007 Acts, this new Bill provides for the establishment of six separate
Orders comprising the Societies of Honour, namely:
(a)
the Order of National Hero
;
(b) the Order of the Nation
;
(c) the Order of The Bahamas
;
(d) the Order of Excellence
;
(e) the Order of Distinction
;
(f) the Order of Merit
.
“Appointments
to the Order of National Hero” said Prime Minister Christie “will be made by
the Governor-General, who will serve as Chancellor of the Order, acting on the
advice of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the
Opposition and after consideration of the report of the Advisory Committee”
said the Prime Minister.
Sports and Youth
Minister Hon. Daniel Johnson paid tribute to many
sports legends, some of whom were in the gallery of the House as the government
celebrates Sports Heritage Month. The Minister highlighted several Olympic sports
that are emerging locally such as rowing and judo. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony
is scheduled for
next Thursday (19th November) at Government House and
a Gala Banquet is scheduled for
next Friday (20th November 2015) at
the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
Deputy Prime
Minister the Hon. Philip Davis delivered the first reading
of three Bills critical to the reform of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC)
and the national energy sector. They were the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2015;
the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (Amendment) Bill 2015 and
the Electricity Rate Reduction Bond Bill 2015.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, these three
pieces of legislation collectively form the requisite legal framework that will
facilitate the reform of the energy sector and provide the solution for the financially
ailing corporation, BEC, the unacceptably high cost of energy and address the
country’s energy security needs.
“This
solution now allows for significant and sustainable reductions in the cost of
energy, a financially healthy electrical utility company, increased energy
security, improved competitiveness and marketability as a country. It is a
process of true reform” said Mr. Davis.
Below is a cursory summary of the Minister’s House
communication:
In February of 2012, more than five thousand (5,000) BEC
customers were without electricity, having been disconnected because they were
unable to afford an essential item that was fast becoming a luxury.
Today, when compared to October 2014, the fuel surcharge
is dramatically reduced by 60%. It was 27.7 cents per kWh in Oct 2014 and 11.4
cents per kWh in Oct 2015.
The
Bahamas government issued
the Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the Management of BEC
in August 2013 and executed
the Transition Services Agreement in on 22nd July 2015 with PowerSecure,
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PowerSecure International, Inc.
PowerSecure’s
five-year business plan for management of the Corporation was developed during
July to September 2015 and delivered to the Cabinet for review and approval on
Tuesday, 3rd November 2015.
The
Electricity Bill 2015 facilitates the electricity sector reform by separating the
regulatory and operations functions of Bahamas Electricity Corporation. It does
this by transferring its commercial operating functions and assets to a wholly
owned subsidiary company called Bahamas Power and Light Company Limited (BPL); it
establishes URCA as the independent sector regulator. BEC will no longer be the
sector’s regulator.
The
new Bill also repeals the Electricity Act and the Out Islands Electricity Act
respectively. It will provide for
diversification in the generation, supply, and distribution of electricity in
accordance with the National Energy Policy, including through renewable energy
sources; and modernize and consolidate the law relating to electrical
installations.
The Utilities Regulation and
Competition Authority Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015, proposes changes in
anticipation of the legislation that will establish URCA as the independent
regulator of the electricity sector. The Bill will also enable and facilitate
URCA in discharging such regulatory functions in the new electricity supply
regime. URCA’s responsibilities will include licensing of public electricity
suppliers, tariff approval, new entrants’ approval, competition rules, public
education and consumer protection.
URCA
is mandated to issue public electricity supplier licenses to BPL and the GBPC
within thirty (30) days of the Bill coming into operation. URCA may also grant
public electricity supplier licenses to certain entities in the Family Islands
with BPL’s approval, such as those entities that are currently operating under
Franchise Agreements with BEC.
In
respect of renewable energy, the Bill requires public electricity suppliers to
submit renewable electricity plans, facilitate renewable energy self-generation
projects, and regular review and approval of the plan by URCA.
The
Electricity Rate Reduction Bond Bill, 2015 provides the legal framework and
infrastructure to enable the issuance of such bonds which are necessary to generate
capital required to satisfy specified debts of the Corporation and BPL.
Additionally, the capital will fund the electricity sector reform and
restructuring of the Corporation, including the establishment and daily operations
of BPL. Specifically, the RRB financing will pay towards eliminating the
corporation’s
financial liabilities,
including bank debts, bonds, environmental remediation, employees’ pension and
benefits, and other non-current financial liabilities outstanding on the date
the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2015 comes into operation.
Once the
existing debt of BEC is paid with the proceeds of the bonds, the current $246
million Government Guarantee, a contingent liability, will be removed from the
Government’s balance sheet.
The Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr.
Bernard J. Nottage
delivered the first reading of a Bill for an act to amend the Airport
Authority Act to provide for the transfer to the Airport Authority of specified
family island airports; the establishment within the authority of a family
island airport department with responsibility for the operation and Management of
the transferred family island airports and for connected purposes. He did so on
behalf of his colleague, the Minister of Transport and Aviation.
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