Premier Dr. The Honourable Natalio Wheatley has lamented a lapse in communication between government statutory bodies and the general public, which he believes is a result of these bodies largely failing to respond to the queries and concerns of the public.
The premier made these comments as he responded to a question of whether the government will be investigating the activities of the BVI Electricity Corporation amid rising electricity costs in the territory.
In delivering his response, the premier suggested that a necessary move at this time would be to have the Corporation itself be made available for questioning on the matter.
“I think we need to make the Electricity Corporation available to explain to persons why the cost of electricity is where it is,” Dr. Wheatley said.
Though he noted that the rising cost of fuel and other factors could be contributing to the issue, the premier maintained that the Corporation must speak on the current situation because “it would be good to give some education to the public as to what really goes into the formation of the bill.”
Premier Wheatley said that while he is making efforts to be more accessible to the press and public for information, there is an obvious need for the territory’s institutions to explore a similar path, as elected officials are not always in the best position to address their internal matters.
He added that education and information are likely to be better facilitated by persons who have the technical knowledge and expertise acquired by being directly involved and responsible in these areas.