SXMElections.com

Dear Editor,

This community is wrought with issues that need addressing in a no-nonsense manner to truly give relief to our people and stop the continuous slide of large parts of the society to sub poverty line. This government has got to come to grips with a crazy and ill-advised adherence to a policy adapted from the Dutch that simply makes no sense, and if it makes no sense it can't be right.

I am of course referring to the so-called arms length policy with government-owned companies or NVs. As we have seen during the many investigations, the very same Dutch are putting pressure on the local government to get the NVs to release to them more financial and policy information. This is basically saying it is okay to interfere when I say so.It is not democratic or even reasonable to be politically responsible for these companies, but they become little countries unto their own.

I would like to revisit GEBE's answer to the continued call for relief. They have written that the prices can't just go down when crude oil prices drop, because according to GEBE transport costs don't change. They claim because they buy from SOL, who they say is not affected by the worldwide drop in fuel prices and apparently the Caribbean post, as they put it, sets its prices independently of the world prices.

While I am very pleased that they at least made an attempt to answer and inform the people, their reply is disingenuous and lends great spin to the truth. The good search site Google claims that crude prices are down some 49 per cent and is expected to continue along that trend. Strange enough, when crude prices go up on the international market our beloved GEBE doesn't hesitate to raise its prices immediately.

I recall just over a year ago how GEBE printed with much pride the profit it made and the reserves it has. This may be an indication of its great business savvy or just its insensitivity to the needs of the consumers, who by the way are also the owners. Something must be done and I call on the shareholder rep to go to parliament and explain what is going on.

While I do appreciate MPs going on radio programs and making statements, that's not what we need. You have a forum, use it to bring these good ladies and gentlemen to parliament and have them explain it to the people. If you look at the Saturday edition of the news, you would have seen our neighbour Anguilla has dropped their fuel clause and if I am not mistaken, they too buy their oil products from the same supplier.

Also ask the good Supervisory Board of Directors to explain the difference in price of heavy fuel and light fuel, and why we use the most expensive one at the production plant. This can be confirmed by my sources within. It is high time we, or somebody, truly stand up for the people.

As a friend of mine put it, if Mr. Brooks were still there, there would be shouts for his ouster. Let's see equal treatment if we can't get relief as requested through various motions. Let's remind these companies of ours of the reason for them being called to life.

Elton Jones