MP Lake inviting NV GEBE Board and Interim Manager to Parliament to update the people of St. Maarten on the state of affairs of NV GEBE
ST. PETERS:--- I believe communication is the key for the businesses and community with respect to the recent spate of NV GEBE power outages and load shedding throughout the districts, several times in one day.
I am looking forward to NV GEBE updating the general public on this issue. In the future NV GEBE Management needs to be more proactive rather than re-active of informing the community about its challenges.
As a responsible Member of Parliament, I will be sending a letter to the Chairlady of Parliament to invite NV GEBE Board and Interim Manager to Parliament to update the people of St. Maarten about the state of affairs at NV GEBE; the status of the new directors; and their plan of action on how to move the company forward.
I am not going into the blame game, but we have to be open, honest and present the facts to the people and the business community by informing them about the state of affairs of NV GEBE and presenting the facts about the purchasing of Engine 20.
NV GEBE also needs to lead by example by going solar by starting first with the roofs of their own office buildings and creating a solar farm system.
It is high time the present Board also addresses the appointment of the Directors to provide the leadership that NV GEBE is desperately lacking to move the company forward.
We need to start making firm decisions in the general interest of the company and putting the right people in the right positions at NV GEBE. I believe NV GEBE has the best local employees and engineers, but they just need a sense of good leadership to take the company to the next level. We also need to train and develop employees to move up the ladder within NV GEBE. NV GEBE also needs to be restructured by putting the right checks and balances into the company to better serve the people of St. Maarten.
In closing, I would like to thank NV GEBE engineers and workers at the power plant in Cape Bay who worked around the clock, going the extra mile and in very heated conditions to restore the out of service engines to provide service back to the community.
I had the opportunity to visit the plant in Cape Bay last night and spoke with Mr. Chitick to give my encouragement to the team for their hard work of getting St. Maarten back online. This issue of load shedding is nothing new and is nothing to do with politics, but goes back to 2010 when NV GEBE leadership should have purchased Engine 20 to avoid all of these issues today.
