JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft

[Dr.Dudd]

JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft
Posted: 2009-03-14 11:26:28
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The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is claiming that Jamaica’s high levels of poverty and murder have contributed to the soaring rate of electricity theft.

The JPS is losing about 12.7 per cent of the electricity it produces because of theft.

According to a JPS study, there are three major factors influencing electricity theft: poverty, violence and the actual cost for light bills.

But the JPS corporate controller and vice-president of finance Dan Theoc says poverty and violence are most debilitating.

The study measures violence by the murder rate.

Mr Theoc says where there is a 10 percent increase in poverty, electricity theft goes up by 9 percent.

He says the study reveals that for every 10 percent increase in the murder rate there’s a three percent increase in electricity losses.

The JPS executive added that the study also found that if light bill goes up by 10 per cent, theft goes up but by only zero point 8-3 per cent.

On Monday, the JPS submitted to the Office of Utilities Regulation, (OUR), an application for an average 23 percent increase in light bills.

The OUR has 90 days from the date of submission to respond to the JPS.

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[johnnycakes]

Re: JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft

Gee, in Cuba where the government pays for everyone's electricity and a whole lot of other things, they don't have this problem at all.
They even put in solar electric systems for people and schools too far from the wire.

It's a poor country too.

[julie*mango]

Re: JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft

maybe its the fear of being shot at point blank range that keeps them in check..just saying...

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Gee, in Cuba where the government pays for everyone's electricity and a whole lot of other things, they don't have this problem at all.
They even put in solar electric systems for people and schools too far from the wire.

It's a poor country too. </div></div> Poverty on Jamaica is cost by racism, than any other isms.

[johnnycakes]

Re: JPS study claims poverty/murder influence theft

Doc,
Jamaicans would be a poor country even were it not racist and with a population that is 95% black, that would mean that the white population (5%?) controls the economy. Possible certainly but likely?

The problem of poverty or rather the ill effects of poverty in Jamaica are caused by the uneven distribution of the goods and services available. Some few have a disproportionate share of the wealth etc which means a less than sufficient share for a great many. That and not enough resources available for job training, job creation and the necessary social infrastructures creates the violence, drug use and so many other societal problems.

Racism such as it is may exacerbate the problem but it is only peripheral to the economic problems.

Those economic problems, as we have discussed in the past, are not curable by capitalism in any Third World society; capitalism ( the unequal distribution of scarce commodities and services) being the cause of the problems.