Portmore Mayor Keith Hinds has given the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) a black eye for providing electricity, along with meters, to persons he says are squatting on the Hellshire Half Moon Bay Beach in the municipality.

A livid Hinds argued that the light and power company's appetite for collecting revenue should not override the illegality of squatting.

"There is a problem with squatting on the beach. I am also absolutely disappointed with an agency called the Jamaica Public Service that has, in fact, gone ahead and put in meters to squatters on the beach," Hinds told The Gleaner.

He added: "In my mind, even though you are trying to collect money, you don't want to be an organisation that seems to be legitimising or trying to condone illegal activities as a corporate entity. That I am very disappointed with."

In its defence, Winsome Callum, head of corporate communications at the JPS, told The Gleaner that "under the terms of its licence" the light and power company is "obliged to provide electricity service to Jamaicans, and to enter into contracts with persons using the service".

"Recognising the challenges many Jamaicans have providing proof of ownership for the properties they occupy, JPS introduced the conditional contract for service to facilitate these persons in accessing electricity service legally and safely," she disclosed.

Disputing ownership

Callum noted that, because the contract is conditional, if any person or organisation should dispute the legitimacy of the occupants on the property, and present the necessary ownership documents, JPS will terminate the contract with the occupants.

In her written response, Callum explained that, for years, many business operators at Hellshire Beach suffered from poor quality electricity and potential safety hazards as a result of illegal electrical connections.

"This changed last year when JPS entered into a partnership with the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Co-operative, which manages and operates the beach under a 25-year lease arrangement from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC)."

She revealed that JPS officials met with operators and residents on the beach and arranged for legal connections that resulted in new engineering and metering solutions being introduced to the area.

"Prior to this arrangement, there were only 22 legal customers in the community. That figure has now increased to 57. Additionally, the safety hazards associated with the illegal connections have been significantly reduced," Callum said.

Checks with the UDC confirmed that members of the fishermen's co-operative society have rights to a prescribed section of the beach. Lorna Clarke, from the corporate relations and marketing department of the UDC, told The Gleaner that in 2001 the corporation "transferred 10 acres of land at Half Moon Bay to the Commissioner of Lands (now subsumed under the National Land Agency) to be held in trust for the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Co-operative Society, with UDC retaining ownership of lands outside of the 10 acres".

Not squatters

Donnette Prendergast, managing director of Prendy's On the Beach, located on the Hellshire Beach, is a member of the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Co-operative. She contended that those whose connections were regularised are not squatters.

"I beg to differ. The people are not squatters. The land was given to them by Michael Manley ... The co-operative has (a) deed that gives their membership rights to the beach."

She continued: "I am yet to see a document that states exactly what purpose the land was given for ... I don't know if it was just for fishing or for restaurants."

Prendergast said she was instrumental in getting the JPS to dialogue with those who had illegal connections, even though her connections were legitimate. She said the arrangement with the JPS is going well.

"The people are paying their bills and the revenue is being collected."

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com