MEMBERS of the business community do not see the decision by Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) to raise their rates by one cent per unit from September 1 as a setback.

Speaking to the Express via telephone yesterday, president of the Supermarkets Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SATT), Baliram Maharaj, said the increase was minimal and should not affect they way supermarkets operate.

’When you think about electricity increases, you automatically think about cold storage, because obviously, that (an electricity increase) would put pressure on your finances, but we cannot say until we actually get into it. You see, if I’m currently receiving a bill for $50,000 and it increases by $2,000, that’s not really going to affect me. But if it is more than that, well there might be (a problem),’ he said.

T&TEC stated yesterday that under the three- tiered rate system, commercial customers will be required to pay $41.50 per kilowatt, an increase of $1.90.

Managing director at Diana Candy Company Ltd, Ronald L Grosberg, said when compared with a country like New Zealand, the price of electricity in Trinidad and Tobago has always been reasonably low.

’Increases are understood, times are hard and you need to stay afloat, but T&TEC has reasonable prices and an increase of one cent is not much,’ he said.

The Regulated Industries Commission (RIC), which approved the one cent increase per kilowatt and nothing else, said T&TEC had proven by its unbending performance record that they were deserving of the increase.

Householders however, see the increase as untimely and unwarranted even though the RIC has stated that the bills of residential customers consuming 400 kilowatts or less would range from .50 cents to $2.

’It’s unfair, it’s like they don’t realise everything adds up, no matter how small,’ Michelle Thomas of Barataria said.

Consumer activist Hazel Brown, said while she agrees with T&TEC’s decision to increase its rates, she is questioning its ability to efficiently supply the electricity.

’The only problem I have is their capacity for estimating their ability to generate enough electricity because sometimes it seems they are not always able to do that,’ she said.