Prepaid electricity in markets intended to reduce fires

The introduction of a prepaid electricity system in local markets is intended to help reduce the occurrence of fires in the facilities, says Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie.

“If you ask me what is the biggest challenge that we face in the country when it comes on to our markets… it is that nine out of every 10 fires in markets can be attributed to electrical short-circuiting,” McKenzie said.

He was speaking during the opening of the Yallahs Market in St Thomas on March 27.

The Minister noted that while other issues such as vending on the street can be controlled with assertive action, illegal electricity connections are the greatest challenges being faced by municipal corporations across the country.

“The markets have light, and vendors are connecting illegally onto the lighting system. Because they’re using poor materials for lighting, you find fires almost on a regular basis,” he explained.

“We can’t run away from the problems,” the Minister stressed, while informing that discussions are being had with the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) about prepaid electricity in the markets.

He said that the system will work “in the same way you buy credit and put on your cell phone”.

The recently opened Buff Bay Market in Portland now boasts this system.

“If the vendors want to be connected to get light, they [have to] make arrangements. The plugs are there, so if you go into the Buff Bay Market, you will see wall plugs all over the place, but you can’t push anything in them and they work. Because the only way it is going to work is if you pay for it. Once it is paid for, then you can use it and once you have exhausted that money, then the system goes down,” the Minister outlined.

He called on the St Thomas Municipal Corporation to consider a similar system for the Yallahs Market, with the approach already being planned for the new market that will be built in Alexandria, St Ann.

“If there is need for vendors to use the electricity, let us put in a system that is going to allow a proper and an orderly supply of electricity,” McKenzie said.

- JIS News

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