PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R: Minister Hon. Maurice Lake (6th from left) meeting with GEBE Management officials. Also in the photo are members of the Minister’s Cabinet and Ministry VROMI. DCOMM Photo
On infrastructure works coordination, street lights, removal of wooden poles etc.
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with GEBE management to get an overview of the company’s activities and to discuss some issues that the Minister would like to see addressed.
One of the key areas for the Minister is street lights in the various districts. "Street lights serve the key purpose of safety and security in the districts. People walking or jogging can see where they are walking and running, so they avoid injury during this activity.
"From a security perspective, street lights also serve as a deterrent to would-be burglars. A lighted area can help prevent car theft and home invasion. Every residential district must be properly lighted," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Friday.
GEBE management informed Minister Maurice about the progress so far with their light maintenance plan which is being executed in close consultation with the Department of Infrastructure Management.
Lights are being repaired systematically within a couple days where possible. Once a report is submitted by the Department of Infrastructure Management, and if the fixtures are in stock, the repairs are then carried out.
Minister Lake also wanted to know about GEBE’s strategic plan and the GEBE management mentioned that the strategic plan should go hand in hand with the Energy Policy.
With respect to the Energy Policy, the Minister and GEBE agreed that a final Energy Policy document would be drafted after some amendments have been made to the initial 2011 document which can be used to guide the sector for the foreseeable future.
GEBE management during the meeting with Minister Lake indicated that they would work together with other utility companies to have the wooden poles removed in the various districts and along the main public roads.
"Every public and private sector utility service company should have an aesthetics policy in place that looks at the clean-up and beautification of the area where they carried out infrastructure or civil works.
"Every company has a corporate social responsibility to the community that they serve. Let’s get back to basics and improve upon the little things that will bring about big results and having the place looking brighter and better," Minister Lake appealed to public and private utility companies and businesses in general.