Please, Allow Us

Everyone wants fair utility bills, clear criteria for relief, and support for those who need it. The recent announcement about a pilot-program to offer relief for vulnerable person, as was probably expected by the government and GEBE, raised a number a questions. So in the spirit of transparency and cooperation, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘴 to ask the following questions publicly, primarily to gain clarity for the public and nudge government and GEBE to properly explain the plan, set timelines, and show the supporting data.

• What is the criteria for determining the vulnerable?

• Will you publish the requirements set forth in the National Ordinance on Financial Aid?

• What is the total budget for this pilot, who funds it, and under what budgetary line item is the XCG 50,000 per month covered?

• You speak of "partnership", define how the partnership between Ministry VSA and government-owned company GEBE is structured in this regard.?

• How many customers is estimated to actually receive help each month, what share of all GEBE customers is that?

• Why XCG 250 per month, what data shows that cap meaningfully reduces bills at current tariffs?

• What is the legal basis for this voucher scheme, will you publish the ministerial decree or policy document?

• What are the administrative costs to run the voucher system, who pays them, and what controls prevent fraud?

• How will eligibility be verified and rechecked every two months, what data will Social Services share with GEBE, how will you protect privacy?

• How will shared accounts be handled?

• Does receipt of vouchers pause disconnections or collections, yes or no, under what conditions?

• How does the pilot interact with existing arrears, payment plans, or reconnection fees?

• Will vulnerable medical and elderly cases get priority or higher caps, what is the process?

• What measurable targets define success, for example number of households helped, arrears reduced, disconnections avoided, bill-to-income ratios improved?

• What is the baseline, what will you publish monthly, and who will audit the results independently?

• If fuel costs or tariffs rise during the pilot, will the cap adjust, or will fewer people get help?

• Why vouchers instead of a temporary tariff reduction or a fixed fuel clause credit for all residential users?

• The pilot starts December 1, 2025. Why wait, and what immediate relief is available before then?

• What happens when the year ends, will support continue, expand, or end, and how will you decide?

• How will you ensure this program does not distract from structural fixes at GEBE, namely tariff reform, billing accuracy?

• What about the rest of the country who will be considered not "vulnerable? When will they be offered relief?

• Where is the island-wide relief the Prime Minister promised, and when will households outside this pilot see it?

• When will government and the GEBE board address the commissioned report on possible overcharging and unclear tariffs?

• If overcharges occurred, will customers get refunds or credits, with interest, on what timeline?

• When will the Prime Minister brief Parliament on the comprehensive relief plan, with dates, costs, and implementation steps?

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