We also asked about the dispute between BEL and one of its major customers, George Hardie's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, in the Corozal Free Zone.
3 weeks ago, the management of the Hotel and casino went public with their disagreement over 328 thousand dollars in arrears which BEL says they owe. The management made a case that, due to the COVID pandemic, they had to remain close for 15 months, and that they shut down 95% of their electricity consumption.
The owners wrote letters pleading with the BEL Board Chairman, and even the Prime Minister for intervention, so that the company wouldn't disconnect them for failing to pay. STILL the Hotelier contacted us that same weekend to say that BEL still ended up disconnecting them.
We asked Chairman Marshalleck for an update on that case:
E. Andrew Marshalleck - Chairman, BEL Board of Director
"There was significant engagement with them, but there's a difference between acknowledging the debt, and making arrangements to pay it, and engaging in allegations of theft and wrongdoing, which are simply not justified, and there's no evidence of any of that. If they checked - and I'm sure they did - why the billings are running that high and do an audit of it, I'm sure they can discover what it is in their building that's utilizing the energy. But, that's not for us to do. We don't go inside these hotels, these premises, or customers' premises to make those audits. That's something they have to make. We will verify that the meter is functioning, and it is functioning. The energy is being used, and that energy must be paid for."
Reporter
"So, have there been any talk about a settlement of those arrears, anything along those lines, sir?"
E. Andrew Marshalleck
"Yes, I'm sure there will be. As I said, across the board, we've tried to be accommodating in making arrangements with individuals and businesses that are experiencing financial difficulty as a result of the pandemic. We recognize that. But, you cross the line when you make those kinds of accusations. So, it's not just about making an arrangement with a customer who acknowledges a bill anymore. So, that one has to be handled differently."
