Councillor urges Gov’t protection from high electrical inspection fees

WESTERN BUREAU:

COUNCILLOR for the Little London division in Westmoreland, Ian Myles, has said builders and potential homeowners are being forced to pay excessive fees upwards of $700,000 to have their properties inspected and passed by private and licensed electrical inspectors.

Last November, the Government transitioned to a new system, where licensed electricians and private inspectors are now responsible for certification. Under the new system, licensed electricians are free to set their own fees, where previously there was no cost for inspection.

“A man building a little house can’t afford to pay the fees that are associated with the corporation, and now he is going to have to pay over $700,000 to these private contractors to get his house passed,” Myles said at a recent meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.

Under the law, premises must be inspected and certified by the Government before the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) connections can be installed.

However, Myles noted that the inspection and certification of electrical systems in private and commercial properties have increased by approximately 500 per cent, therefore, he is urging the Government to re-examine its decision to provide protection with the high fees from the ‘free market’ pricing system that has come about as a result of its policy decision.

He argued that the sharp increase associated with the new inspection and certification fees are a deterrent to persons who want to legally connect to the JPS grid.

“Government needs to use its stake in JPS to ensure that the citizens are protected because I am seeing a significant loss of revenue to the municipal corporation, not just Westmoreland, all the municipal corporations will be crying out for revenue,” Myles said.

Persons entering into construction are required to develop building plans to be passed by local municipal corporations. Along with that, they are also required to have a separate plan for electrical installations.

“Where will citizens get money to legitimise their buildings, more so to find these high fees. (The) electrical plan in itself will need a separate drawing,” the Little London councillor lamented.