Minister Chebat: Government Will Keep Utility Rates Stable As Long As Possible

The Belize Electricity Limited and the Belize Water Services Limited have shown where the cost of providing the country with light and water has gone up and felt there should be consideration given down the road for rates to be increased. The Public Utilities Commission has agreed that the time for a rate increase is not now and so does the Minister of Public Utilities, Michel Chebat. But while the Minister said that the government is doing all that it can to protect consumers, at

some point, something’s got to give.

Michel Chebat

Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities

“Unfortunately the cost of fuel has skyrocketed and spiraled and it has caused the delivery of services to become more expensive, and I think we need to take into consideration that these utility companies, especially B.E.L., depend on fuel and so the cost of them delivering service has certainly increased. I know that the Public Utilities Commission had approved an increase, B.E.L. says this is not the time for it they did not think that it is the moment for it and as a government we did not feel it is the moment to raise our electricity rates. It is hard, and government has been subsiding many aspects of the economy as best as we can, and I think we’re going to do our best to try to keep down the rates as best as we can, but eventually, something must give. There are certain costs that we as a government can’t control – the cost of fuel being one of them. And I think as consumers, we have a bit of a responsibility to make sure we’re doing what we can to save ourselves some money.”