By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

WATER and Sewerage Corporation Chairman Adrian Gibson yesterday confirmed the existence of a “do not disconnect” list populated by scores of elites at the government owned utility provider as he pledged to initiate a crackdown on delinquent accounts.

Mr Gibson told The Tribune the “confidential list” held 221accounts, with a combined total of $175,000 for the period ending June 2017.

He said that he plans to direct the corporation to notify all persons owing excessive arrears to resolve debts or face disconnection.

“There is a list confidential list,” the Long Island MP said.

“In fact, I would think that all the corporations over the last year or two, and more particularly in May of this year, there has been close attention paid to that list by the management with a view to changing the way those lists usually operate.

“As it stands, this confidential list has a number of persons on it, and really and truly it’s being used to notify persons by courtesy call or letters. I can say too that as the chairman of the corporation I am going to direct that all persons owing excessive arrears who are on that list be notified of said arrears and they be told to put their house in order or risk being disconnected.”

Mr Gibson was contacted by The Tribune after this newspaper’s reporting into a special “do not disconnect” list at Bahamas Power and Light revealed that similar lists existed at several government entities.

He explained that inclusion on the “confidential list” did not mean the persons in question owed a substantial amount, as several accounts maintained a zero balance.

Mr Gibson said: “In June the total balance was $175,000, that included 221 accounts of various entities or persons, some of which are inactive. I understand the reason for having a confidential list, because not everyone should have access to that, so that these major entities and persons who have attained status in society are not embarrassed and to serve as a courtesy.”

“I also appreciate the concern of the general public,” Mr Gibson said. “Having been appointed in recent times and having this brought to my attention this is certainly something I will look into, and once accounts are in unacceptable arrears, bills must be paid. The corporation must have revenue to operate.”

With respect to delinquent accounts, Mr Gibson said the corporation has 16,000 inactive accounts that have been delinquent for more than a year. He noted that those accounts should have been disconnected, specifically with meters taken out and service lines removed.

He said there were less than 10,000 active delinquent accounts.