By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

krussell@tribnunemedia.net

PUBLIC Works Minister Desmond Bannister said yesterday that Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is going to do whatever is in the best interest of Bahamians to ensure electricity is at the lowest possible cost.

During a visit to Spanish Wells on Friday, he told reporters the power company is now negotiating after a memorandum of understanding with Shell North America expired. 

BPL, he said, is committed to negotiating the best possible deal. 

The minister said: “BPL is gonna do whatever is in the best interest of Bahamian people with respect to ensuring that we have the lowest prices possible and there are two things I can point to. First of all, no incident of load shedding this last summer for the first in about three decades. The second one is the surcharge that you pay in New Providence now is half of when we came to power – it was like 21 cents now it’s 10 cents. It’s going to go down even more when we get to make a deal on the new engines and the new station and on fuel.

“There are some entities that are coming into The Bahamas that offer services in certain islands. We‘re going to beat all of them and, if you compare, if you do your homework, and you compare what people in Grand Bahama pay now compare to what people in New Providence pay you would be shocked at how much more Grand Bahamians are paying for power.

“BPL is negotiating now and they have a free hand to negotiate with anybody and so we’re going to see who comes through with the best possible deal for the Bahamian people.

Mr Bannister was a part of a delegation that accompanied Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for the official opening of the new Roderick Newton Higgs Bridge at Spanish Wells. The bridge is the only vehicular access between Spanish Wells and Russell Island. 

Dr Minnis explained the old bridge was established in 1992 after the original structure was destroyed during Hurricane Andrew. A contract to replace the bridge was signed in June 2019 and was awarded to Waugh Construction (Bahamas) Limited. The contract is valued at $2.8 million. 

“There’ve been delays to the project as the contractor was severely affected from Hurricane Dorian with the company losing the majority of their equipment,” Dr Minnis said. “Also, the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 affected the time period for completion. Further, during the construction phase, the existing bridge collapsed when a heavily loaded cement truck passed over the structure.


“Thankfully, the contractor has worked tirelessly to overcome these challenges and accelerated the construction phase over the last few months. The new abutments were completed in less than a month.”

The scope of works included the construction of sheet piled abutments and a wing wall, and the provision of a 162 foot long by 18 foot-wide steel truss Arcow Road Bridge with a footway provided on either side of the structure. 

He added that the bridge is an example of the infrastructural “crusade” and development programme embarking through the Family Islands over the next five to seven years to ensure infrastructural components within those islands, including roads, light and water.  

It was also announced that telemedicine will be introduced in the Family Islands.

“We will embark on a medical programme within all of the Family Islands so that there will be no difference between medical care between Spanish Wells and New Providence and others,” Dr Minnis said.

“In other words, those on Spanish Wells will be able to be examined without having to leave their shores – they can be examined by a doctor on New Providence or Grand Bahama without moving. And if a second opinion is requested or required, then that second opinion can be delivered to you again without leaving your shores and that second opinion can be delivered to you by a doctor in Florida, New York, or wherever as is necessary.  ”

The Prime Minister also unveiled plans for a new Glass Window Bridge.