ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Robert Miller, Member of Parliament for South East St Catherine, has called on the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to expedite the restoration of electricity to several areas in his constituency. The outage, caused by Hurricane Beryl, is severely affecting local businesses and elderly residents.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Miller voiced his deep concern about the extended power outage’s impact on the community. He highlighted the plight of senior citizens and small business owners who are facing significant hardships due to the lack of electricity.
Miller stressed the urgent need for JPS to prioritize the restoration of power throughout the constituency. While recognizing JPS’s focus on emergency services, he emphasized the necessity for a clear timeline for restoring power to affected areas in Portmore and surrounding communities.
Residents in neighborhoods such as Westchester, Portsmouth, and Waterford are particularly struggling, according to Miller. He pointed out that meat vendors are at risk of losing their livelihoods due to the power cut, and some elderly residents are in a critical state as their refrigerated medications have spoiled.
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Additionally, Miller noted that the absence of electricity has allowed criminal elements to exploit the situation, increasing crime rates under the cover of darkness.
Miller’s plea came just before Energy Minister Daryl Vaz was set to meet with JPS on Friday to address the ongoing power issues since Hurricane Beryl impacted Jamaica’s South Coast on Wednesday. Miller revealed he had been in communication with Minister Vaz regarding the situation.
In response, JPS issued a statement on Friday, reporting that within 24 hours of Hurricane Beryl’s passage, they had restored power to 80,000 customers, primarily in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, and St Thomas. The company added that power restoration efforts are underway in Trelawny and St James, with over 315,000 customers, or 45 percent of their total customer base, now having electricity.
JPS’s Director of Corporate Communications, Winsome Callum, stated that the company had completed extensive damage assessments and had already begun restoring power to several communities and essential services. JPS teams will continue their efforts on Friday to restore electricity across multiple parishes, including Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, St Thomas, St Mary, Portland, Trelawny, St James, St Ann, and Manchester.
