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Power Woes in Paradise
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Posted on Feb 05 2001
The Issue: Debate to disconnect delinquent and non-essential government offices.
Our View: It’s a tale of the CNMI’s economic woes that has yet to reach rock bottom.
For nearly five years now, we have been in self-denial about the condition or posture of the local economy. The current controversy–to disconnect non-essential government offices–brings us one step closer to reality check about our economic woes, including the spiralling cost of fuel to operate the government-run utility agency.
The Commonwealth Utility Corporation has been negotiating with the government about the latter’s mounting debts. Interesting that there should even be negotiations for a non-paying and heavily delinquent customer. We know full well that if a delinquent private customer fails to pay his bills, disconnection is carried out forthwith, when the notification period is exhausted.
In the meantime, it is equally CUC’s obligation to cut its excesses to skeletal level so that they aren’t passed on to consumers, unnecessarily. It must buckle down to austerity measures in the same way as did the Commonwealth Ports Authority. It was a painful experience but one that had to be instituted in the interest of staying solvent. Yes, CPA is the model of example when it comes down to real austerity measures. CUC must follow suit!
Perhaps the financial difficulties of CUC ought to encourage discussion about privatization. It would result in a huge savings for the local government and and the institution of far more efficient utility services for all consumers when the utility agency is run in business-like fashion. For as long as this agency remains in government hands, its inefficiency will be perpetuated beyond recognition, the victims being its consumers. This issue warrants critical review to salvage it now while there’s still room to reboot efficiency and unimpeded power generation.
Finally, the responsibility to conserve energy is everybody’s. Given the financial woes of the utility agency, all must pitch-in now in order to avoid constant brown-outs right here in paradise. Si Yuus Maase`!
