Popcaan Takes Aim At JPS For Electricity Rate Hike

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Dancehall artist Popcaan

Everything Nice artist Popcaan has taken to mocking the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), even as members of the Dancehall/Reggae music fraternity expressed their own frustration with the light and power company for demanding a rate increase.

Several days ago, the mischievous Dancehall star took to Twitter to jeer the company in which Japanese company Marubeni Corporation of Japan and Korea East-West Power (EWP) jointly own majority 80 percent of shares.

“JAMAICA PUSSYH_LE SERVICE!! name ring any bell? People ask me to tell you this,” Popcaan tweeted mockingly, using the popular phrase in Jamaica reserved for selfish and thoughtless organizations and individuals, punctuated with two laughing emoticons.

JPS, in which 19 percent of its shares is Government-owned, has been feeling the heat from several members of the entertainment fraternity after it made a request made to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) in May, for a 3.5 percent increase in light bills.

Beenie Man and Foota Hype have been among the others who have been robust in their criticisms of the company, which has defended its request for a rate increase, insisting that it is necessary for the service it provides.

The OUR has since granted a 1.4 per cent increase to JPS, which took effect on September 1, a decision that has been met with much chagrin by the people.

A few days ago, after music producer and disc jockey ZJ Sparks reposted an old election campaign video of Prime Minister Andrew Holness saying that he was “committing” to giving Jamaicans cheaper electricity via introduction of “big companies’ to create energy-efficient plants to generate cheaper electricity, numerous artistes had come out to state that the prime Minister’s promises were “better said than done”.

“Not a PROMISE…but definitely too much of a COMMITMENT to see through after winning I guess,” Christopher Martin had said.

For his part Razor B, had implied that Jamaicans had been duped.

“How the PM lie with a str8 face… not a promise…it’s a commitment…until I am vote in and after that …yuh all going to pay more once I am the PM of 🇯🇲,” he noted.

Last week, Beenie Man had scolded the OUR for hiking the electricity bills in the midst of a pandemic which, he argued, has caused Jamaicans to be earning less.

“Now why would OUR approve an increase in electricity bill in the middle of a pandemic, covid restrictions and no moment. Where is the compassion for the people?” he wrote early Thursday morning.

It was X-Factor winner Dalton Harris, though, who seemed highly disillusioned with not only the actions of JPS and the OUR, but the direction the country was heading into in general, noting that the island’s economic situation is dire.

“So what exactly do we ACTUALLY own. Am I Jamaican or just shares of some other countries investment and shot cuz…at this point I think the word Jamaica is just used as a label nothing to do with ownership. And it gets progressively worst,” he wrote.

“If you do research. Economically, the chances of becoming a millionaire or billionaire or escaping the 9-5 trap and still living in an exclusive Jamaican economic place is next to impossible without nepotism and curryption. Or unless your business and skills are internationally traded,” Dalton added.

The Kingston College old boy, however, noted that the problem has been longstanding and has persisted throughout the history of modern Jamaica.

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Dalton Harris

“Not the fault of any ONE prime minister but this has been happening. But people allow themselves to get distracted. Not just JPS.  Open your eyes, minds and professional endeavors. Think ahead and beyond and plan. JPS is only but a tiny problem among the many that dates back generations,” he said.

He noted that foreign interests were controlling Jamaica, to the detriment of its nationals, as the country continues to suffer the effects of, in particular, brain drain.

“The People’s Republic Of China and America has a nice ring to it. Cuz that will soon be the name of Jamaica but they might keep the Jamaica just for tourism value,” Dalton lamented.

“We have brain drain. Talent drain. Money Drain. All di dog dem a cut. Systems in place and caring about more than politics and business modules that are followed and improved overtime will be one of the only things that can help start to make progress. How can Jamaican people be so educated and talented bu have to feel like leaving to really compete or even be able to break a certain barrier. This is one of the issues,” he added.

Continued Dalton: “But we always figure it out so maybe they just think we always will til we can’t. Politics is deeper than the individual. It’s a systems employed differently by different people for different things. And going off history it has yet to be used to improved infrastructure. Both physically and financially… Gotta work hard and protect and secure our families where and when we can. Cuz this ain’t it.”