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PUC On Why It Denied BEL
posted (March 10, 2020)

The Public Utilities Commission held a press conference to explain its initial decision into the Full Tariff Review Proceeding for BEL.  

The Chairman explained how they arrived at the rate of 42.42¢ per kilowatt-hour when BEL had requested 45.33¢ per kilowatt-hour starting in 2021:

John Avery 

Chairman, PUC

“We get an average of 42.42 cents throughout the entire FTP however the commission accepted BEL’s proposal to keep the rates the same until December, and so the average thereafter is a little higher than the 42.42 which is the average for the entire period. By having a lower rate for the first six months then the average for the next um six months and two years is 42.56 cents per kilowatt-hour. That represents an increase of roughly 2.86% over the current mean electricity rate.â€￾

And even though BEL was requesting an almost 10% increase, the public showed zero interest.  Here’s how the Director of Electricity put it today:

Ambrose Tillett

Director of Electricity 

“It was a surprise to us at the commission, we the staff of the commission that only one entity the trade union congress the NTUCB was the only entity that actually showed an interest in these proceedings. They asked for the documents. They asked for explanations. They indicated they would probably make written comments. We didn’t get any written comments from them but it was quite a surprise to us that given the fact that BEL was proposing to raise the mean electricity rate from 41.5 cents to 45.33 cents that no one took an interest in this matter. That was quite a surprise to us. We also held a public meeting on February the 11th and again there was no one from the public that attended and again as a matter of interest that entities did not, persons or entities did not come to that public meeting.â€￾

The increase starting in 2021, works out to about 2.85%. So will BEL still be able to make its 280 million dollar investment plan?  The PUC Chairman discussed this:

John Avery 

Chairman, PUC

“BEL had asked for some 283 million in investment over the period. We did not, I will not say we did not approve but we did not consider every single one of those investments during this FTRP. These are for future events and the commission felt that we needed a better explanation from BEL before we considered some of these investments and so while these weren’t included in what approve in this FTRP we’re not saying that they’re off the table completely. We just need more information before we give them due consideration.â€￾

Objections to the initial decision can still be made in the next two weeks.




207 New Cops

Police Recruit Squad #94 had its passing out parade on Saturday at the police training academy in Belmopan.  

The 207 officers had their shining moment on the parade square and here are some highlights:

4 Cadet Officers are still at the BDF camp going on continuous training.  The recruits did 6 months totally. 3 months at the National Police Training Academy & 3 month Field Officers Training.




Violent Home Invasion Traumatises Family

A Belize City family was traumatized this weekend by a group of armed thieves who held them up at the construction site of their unfinished home and robbed them of all their belongings. 

The officers encountered 27-year-old Diannie Martinez who explained that she was on the property with her husband, Nigel Martinez, her 4-year-old daughter, and their 2 workmen, Aldo Cambranez and Kevin Olivera. They were exiting the unfinished house through the garage area when 3 dark-complexioned men suddenly showed up. They were all armed with handguns, and the culprits ordered back into the garage. 

Police told us more:

That ordeal was horrific enough, but it appears that the culprits had some sort of inside information about the couple’s habits. The men then interrogated Diannie Martinez about the combination code to the safe that they kept in their Belama home in Belize City. Again, she was worried that these men would hurt them, and so she gave them the code.

The men then stole her white Chevy Equinox SUV, valued at $25,000. Inside that vehicle, the couple had Nigel Martinez’s licensed 9mm pistol, which loaded with 15 live rounds, and an additional $2,000 cash.




Vanessa's Shooter Caught

A young woman from Corozal was nearly shot on Sunday she was able to evade the bullets and later made a complaint against her assailant. Tonight that assailant 20-Year-old Edwin Marin has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault. And today during the Press briefing Superintendent Cowo told us that Ms. Matus’s near-death experience is connected to a dispute in the area.




Aggravated Burglary on New Road

There was another aggravated burglary in the City over the weekend; this one happened on New Road. And this afternoon Alejandro Cowo told us that two men have been detained in connection with this burglary.




They Shot Jerry

35 year-old-Jareth Jerry Jones was shot on Saturday. It happened just before 8:00 pm when Jones was walking home on Courtenay Crescent. That’s when a gunman approached and opened fire on him. This afternoon Superintendent Cowo told us that Jones's shooting is connected to shootings that occurred in the area last week. 

Jones was treated and discharged from the KHMH on the same night that he was admitted. 

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