‘Government has never been a ‘difficult customer’, says BVIEC boss

BVI Electricity Corporation General Manager Dr Neil Smith has rejected the perception that the government routinely fails to pay its electricity bills, describing it as one of the corporation’s better customers.

Smith addressed the issue after Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said the government had approximately $1.5 million in electricity arrears for about 90 days.

He said the government had maintained a satisfactory payment record during his tenure at BVIEC, although some payments may take longer because of the procedures required to process them.

“Government, in my tenure in BVIEC, has never been a difficult customer. They always do the best to pay the bills,” Smith stated.

“Some might be late because they have a process to go through. You know, you have to do the bill, you have to go to Treasury, you have to do all of that type of stuff,” he added.

Smith said the government may also challenge some invoices but generally keeps its account current.

“Government is one of our better customers. They might have some disputed bills. But on a general basis, government is generally up to date,” Smith stated.

Rymer raised the matter during a press conference on the government’s fuel subsidy assistance programme. He said he was seeking the latest figure but recalled that the government owed approximately $1.5 million in arrears.

The government previously carried a substantially higher electricity debt. In April 2017, then Premier Dr D Orlando Smith told the House of Assembly that central government owed BVIEC $13.39 million as at March 31 of that year. He said delayed invoice processing, inadequate departmental allocations, and charges connected to water plants contributed to the arrears.

BVIEC has also reported separate payment problems involving the BVI Health Services Authority. In 2024, Neil Smith described the authority as the corporation’s largest delinquent customer and said it owed millions of dollars. BVIEC disconnected several clinics after saying the outstanding debt was affecting its ability to meet fuel, maintenance and infrastructure expenses.