SAN PEDRO DAILY,July 2, 2007,Belize News,Features,Newspapers, Information,Resource,Caribbean,Ambergris Caye

Costa Maya is heating up!
Maria Jeffery to represent Belize at
Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant

The Costa Maya Festival is almost here and the preparations are coming along smoothly. One of the biggest and glamorous aspects of the four day festivities is the Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant. Pretty soon all the countries will have submitted their delegates vying for the prestigious crown. The Costa Maya Committee has confirmed the participation of Maria Jeffery, Miss Belize Universe 2007-2008, for this year’s pageant.
Contestant participation has already been confirmed by Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala, while Nicaragua and Costa Rica are yet to respond as of press time. However, their representatives have done well in the past and without a doubt these two Mayan countries will join in the fun of La Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant. The Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant contestants are slated to arrive in Belize City on July 25th. While in Belize City they will enjoy an excursion provided by Discovery Expeditions who will take them on an eco-adventure tour at Peccary Park. This will include an ATV ride through the jungle, a kayak and jungle adventure. The girls will overnight in Belize City after which they will travel to San Ignacio and stay at the newly opened boutique Ka’ana Hotel. San Pedranos will get a chance to meet the girls on Saturday (July 27th) for the slated Noche San Pedrana, which will be sponsored by Reef Radio. Read More

PUC reverses initial decision, will remove BEL’s $10 service charge

As of Sunday, July 1, fifty thousand (50,000) residential customers will see a drop in their light bills. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) made the announcement on Wednesday, June 27, indicating that the PUC, the regulatory arm of Government that oversees the sector, had approved some substantial changes in rates.
Even though many customers will be getting a little reprieve in their bills, the bigger picture is significant in that the PUC is now saying that its initial rate calculations for 2007-2008 were wrong, and customers owe BEL not $10.6 million, but $16 million. Customers will repay BEL this money over the next few years.
It is also noteworthy that the PUC’s new decision leaves residential customers paying $1.7 million more than if the PUC had stuck with its initial decision.
While the PUC initially disapproved BEL’s main tariff proposals for 2007-2008, it has done an about face in its final decision; however, it has stood fast in rejecting BEL’s additional proposals for increases in reconnection charges and new charges for meter tampering and power theft.
We observe that even though the PUC has decided that the $10 service charge will be dropped from residential bills, higher per kilowatt charges for the usage of electricity will apply. The service charge alone would have netted BEL $7.3 million over the next 12 months. With the service charge eliminated, BEL has to make up that revenue from elsewhere, and hence the increase in rates for customers.
The net effect, however, is that virtually all customers using up to 500 kilowatts a month will see their light bills drop, while higher end consumers will see their bills increase in the region of 2%.
Residential customers make up 85% of BEL’s customer pool, and they account for over half of BEL’s earnings from electricity sales.
Commercial customers will also see their bills increase, but industrial customers will see an entirely new tariff system, whereby there will be one uniform rate as opposed to a peak and off-peak charges, as well as a monthly service fee and demand charge. Government will pay over $700,000 more for street lighting with the increase in electricity charges in that category.
The PUC’s final decision, announced Wednesday, differs sharply from its initial decision, made over a month ago. Initially, the PUC had reduced the service charge from $10 to $5, while keeping the tariffs for residential customers the same. The PUC had also calculated a lower mean electricity rate than it has now proclaimed—an average rate of 44.1 cents as opposed to 43.2 cents.
While the PUC had initially calculated that customers were overcharged almost $5 million for 2006/2007, the expert said that they were undercharged about $2 million. In its recalculation to arrive at its final decision, the PUC made a compromise, by recalculating the annual correction. Its new calculations put customers owing BEL almost $700,000.
The effect of this adjustment in the PUC’s calculation is that customers will take longer to pay off the rate stabilization account, a debt owed by customers which the PUC says now stands at $16 million. In its initial decision, the PUC had calculated the figure to be $10.6 million. BEL had disputed the PUC’s calculations, saying that the figure was $18.9 million. The independent expert calculated the figure to be $16 million, and the PUC has, evidently, accepted the expert’s calculations and methodologies, which are a modification of those originating in the tariff bylaws.
BEL is pleased that the independent expert found in its favor, and agreed that the PUC’s calculations were wrong.
PUC chairman Roberto Young told the media on Wednesday that the PUC has endeavored to be fair and to take the position of all parties into consideration in arriving at its final decision. This is the first time the PUC has received so much public input in the rate review proceedings, with 11 responses to its initial decision.
At the end of the day, however, the PUC has approved the majority of BEL’s submissions, particularly BEL’s rate and service charge proposals. However, BEL is still disappointed that the PUC did not approve its proposals for an increase in reconnection charges from $10 to $25, as well as charges for meter tampering and power theft.
For its part, BEL argues that this new tariff structure would encourage people to be more conservative with their electricity use.

The company is banking on collecting $172 million between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. This is $22 million more than it collected from electricity sales last year, when the company earned record profits of $29 million. Read More

NOTICES/LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The annual Caye Caulker Lobsterfest, the ORIGINAL lobsterfest, was held over the weekend. Threats of rain on Friday morning did not deter fest goers who arrived by the hundreds to the island beginning Friday afternoon. The weekend turned out to be sunny and warm, making for an excellent fest.

Mr. Elizabeth Canul was crowned Miss Lobsterfest on Friday night.

On Saturday I had lobster ceviche, lobster salad, lobster kebabs, stewed lobster and coconut curry lobster. FANTASTIC!!!

On Sunday I had "bad belly" from all that rich food :-)

Since the rest of the country seems hell bent on stealing the Lobsterfest theme from the one and only original, Caye Caulker (often immitated but never duplicated), I suggested they change the theme to make it a SEAFOOD FEST instead of just a lobster fest. Fish sere and fish boil up or even shrimp ceviche would have been quite in order this weekend as well.

Thanks and cheers,

Wendy Auxillou

Found dog

GREAT NEWS!
What a result. Thanks to Marty on the message board and Jesse at San Pedro Daily for advertising this lost puppy. Her owners saw the ad and have just picked her up. Her name is Angel and the family are so happy to have her home. It just goes to show the power of the internet! Thank you to everyone for your help. You've made one family very happy tonight.

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Dr. Arlie Petters arrived in Belize today to prepare for his previously announced summer computer-building workshop for high school students. The instructors arrive next week. According to Dr. Petters, more than one hundred high school students from all over the country applied to fill the seventy available spots. In true Dr. Petters fashion, no student will be turned back. They will accommodate all 100 or so of them. Arrangements are being made for the out-district students to be housed at Price Barracks, home of the workshop.

Thanks and cheers,

Wendy

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
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for dead batteries

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