V.I. Senate bill wouldn't fix WAPA's problems, testifiers say
The V.I. Water and Power Authority’s disastrous financial situation is continuing to wreak havoc on ratepayers’ wallets, and a lack of leadership is hindering reform, according to testifiers at a Senate committee hearing Friday.
The Public Services Commission, which regulates WAPA, “has expressed its concerns with the management and operation of the Water and Power Authority many times over the last 20 years. The commission has clearly and unequivocally stated that the authority has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars over that time,” PSC Executive Director Donald Cole told senators Friday in the Committee on Government Operations and Consumer Protection.
“That money could have been used to develop the economy and the wealth of the territory and would have resulted in substantial economic growth in over that period. Instead, the authority has been a substantial drain on the territory, its economy, and our citizens,” Cole said.
Testifiers had been called to speak about Sen. Kenneth Gittens’ proposed Bill No. 34-0080, which received similarly harsh reviews, and was ultimately held in committee for further revision.
Read more: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/senate-bill-wouldnt-fix-wapas-problems-testifiers-say/article_926ca065-e8a2-5830-b320-1ba72867d5a2.html