Should you pay GST on your light bill when that GST is charged on electricity that was consumed in June? Well that's what BEL's bill is asking you to do, but is it legal? It appears not to be, but it's a very technical issue, and now government's and BEL's lawyers have been brought in and asked to sort it out.
As we understand it, the Ministry of Finance's attorney Gian Ghandi has advised that is not legal, but BEL is waiting for its attorney Michael Young to decide its position. That decision should be announced by Monday.
For BEL, a reversal could mean an administrative nightmare, but for consumers who's bill is due or past due, our advice would be to pay up now and if necessary settle the difference later, and thereby avoid a real nightmare of disconnection.
