A statement from the St. Kitts Electricity Company, (SKELEC), confirmed that since the privatization of the utility service, the government had announced that the payment of water service fees will no longer be allowed at SKELEC’s offices on Central Street, in Basseterre, and will from next week be moved to the Water Services Department at Needs Must. Payments will also be accepted at the Inland Revenue Department, (IRD) and the General Post Office on the Bay Road.
It means therefore that all payments and water service fees will be handled by the Water Services Department and all payments, whether via cash or checks, should be paid to the relevant approved offices, as SKELEC would only be able to accept payments for electricity services. Consumers who regularly pay both water and electricity with one check will now have to pay each separately.
The decision to discontinue the payment of water bills at the electricity company, created much controversy when it was announced earlier this year, with consumers arguing that the new location at Needs Must is much too inconvenient and especially difficult for the older persons in society, many of whom have to travel from rural districts.
Government subsequently relented to some extent and introduced the additional sites (Post Office and IRD), to help ease the burden.