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BEL Balks At Suspending Bills, Offers Other Cost Cutting
posted (March 26, 2020)

But unlike BTL and BWSL, BEL can't promise consumers any across-the-board ease on their bills.  They say that can only be assessed on a case by case basis, corporate code for "come back tomorrow". 

But, the Prime Minister also challenged top executives of the utilities to take a pay cut, like he did. Now, we didn't hear anything about that but here's what Sean Fuller, the General Manager of Communications and Retail Services, had to say about general cost-cutting:

Government today put out its own circular about interim cost-saving measures.  

We've seen a memorandum from Financial Secretary Joseph Waight which informs that the Ministry of Finance is implementing immediate cost-cutting measures. Those include a 6-month freeze on the creation of new government posts, the filling of any vacant posts, employment and re-employment, payment in lieu of vacation leave, all new requests for advances, the approval of any new or periodic allowances, workshops, seminars, and non-essential travel, and non-essential purchasing of supplies, software, equipment and so on.

The Memo also requests that where necessary, overtime hours are to be kept at the very minimum, that no case should exceed 20 hours per month. 

The memo ends by saying, quote, "Public Officers are encouraged to take all necessary steps to devise and implement their own personal and family plan for stringent and prudent management of their finances during these challenging times. Special consideration will be given to our Health Care Providers." End quote.

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