On Wednesday it was announced that Barbadian company Light & Power Holdings Ltd. (LPH) has signed a letter of intent to acquire controlling interest in Dominica Electricity Services Ltd. (DOMLEC) from WRB Enterprises Inc. of Tampa, Florida.
The announcement indicated that both companies are working to have the transaction completed before the end of 2012.
DNO took to the streets on Thursday to get an idea of what locals thought of the news and the impending changes.
One woman was totally against the idea and questioned whether the government should step in. “Government should have bought the shares,” she said. “I am concerned with them maintaining the level of employment. Are they going to let go our local employees and bring in foreigners? In such cases they sometimes cut down on staffing and pay more attention to their profitability.”
She expressed concern about the price of electricity and wondered whether there will be a reduction when the new company takes over. “Also are they going to be looking to reduce the price of electricity or are they going to raise it to increase profit? Why is government allowing them to take over the sole electrical company where Dominicans are the ones paying the cost of keeping it in operation?” she questioned.
Another said she was concerned that a foreign company was again going to control DOMLEC. “To make a foreigner come in to control our only electrical company is a step backward in my opinion,” she said.
One man said he is sure that the new company is going increase electricity rates. “I am sure they are going to increase the rates,” he remarked. “These people do not care about Dominican people.”
DNO also met one individual who had absolutely no idea that DOMLEC could change hands by year end. “I did not even know that was going on, I really can’t speak on the topic,” she said.
A young woman was more open minded on the situation. “I don’t know but sometimes change is good … as a Dominican people we are afraid of change … sometimes this is exactly what we need,” she stated.
DOMLEC provides power to about 34,000 customers island-wide.
Dominica doing business like a Paro. They selling their belongings indiscriminately. Passports, diplomatic status, prime land to Chinese, river sand, DOMLEC , geothermal energy rights, our rights to work on capital projects, give LIAT $8 million for a temporary fix or high, trade agriculture for KFC.
Only crack heads behave the way our government does.
@ Bylaw man I love your honesty!
Why can’t they sell shares tot eh people of Dominica why let another outside company buy DOMLEC, remember the Name, Say the name. DOMLEC, it means it belongs to the people of DOMINICA not Barbados or Canada. I do not live in Dominica but my family does and i grew up there and I say we must fight to STOP this sale, let what belongs to DOMINICA stays in DOMINICA….what they going to start selling us to whomever has the money what about the business places in DA, they have no voice..Speak my DOMINICAN;s and Let us buy shares to keep out Electrical company…this is not a good idea for Barbados to come to Dominica…
BIMLEC
BAJLEC?
CANUCKLEC?
LOL!
Sukie, I feel your pain and I wish DOMLEC had nevr fallen into the hands of a private company. But I don’t think the government can step in and say you can not sell to so and so and you can only sell to this person.
I just wish we as a people can come up with the resources and do a hostile bid (allowable in the business world) and buy the share to become majority owner.
So I am calling on all our patriots on the radio (Q95 to be be specific) to come together.
The DA government should purchase 100% of DOMLEC and sell 49% to the Dominican public as a way to raise capital. The remaining 51% should to controlled the government through a board, much like the water board. We should controlled our own destiny. It is inconceivable for govenment to invest in LIAT (which is good) and not our own electric company.
No utility companies should be owned by foreigners we the people of Dominica should have 49% shares and government 51% shares.
It’s the right thing to do .
YEAH. Only way for this small island.
Why don’t Dominicans demand that Domlec be made a public company? All Dominicans should be given the opportunity to buy shares in Domlec.
They are blinded by bad governance.They have been made so poor that they can’t speak.
How is the Government going to implement the geothermal electricity if they don’t own the electrical company? are they going to create a new company and infrastructure?
I was wondering that. Is the GEO a separate enterprise that is selling straight to Gwada?
Ig GEO make electricity production cheap … does that mean MORE profit for domlec? Or will they (yeah right
) pass that saving on to us?
FYI … Barbados Light & Power Holdings Ltd is being taken over by Canadian company Emera. So we all working for Canadians now? … what you think about that … eh?
WE should own DOMLEC and then we all get help from our own high bills. OR of course we can lower the bills and have a nice easy life? … Nah … let us continue to punish ourselves for some inexplicable reason.
Greed is greed. Bajan or Dominican. they all want the most money and do not care about the user.
We ought to own OUR DOMLEC … we paid for it many times over. Nationalise it. It si the only sane thing to do on an island that has only 70,000 people (at most) and yet we made DOMLEC a huge profit last year.
Businesses are shutting down because rent and electricity are too high. Not because they cannot operate their businesses or nobody want their goods/services, but that the costs to operate are too high.
Nationalise it. When it makes a big profit … build a hospital wing just NOT another shareholder free for all.
You would swear that was neuro surgery level thinking instead of the basic principle of growth but not even UWP grasped that elementary fact and they were supposed to be the party of businessmen.
Poor Dominica!
Hoping it’s not from the frying pan and now into the fire.
DA… always selling itself out to the highest bidder.
Get all u lamp and put dere…so no company in Dominica can buy the shares….hmmmmm, not good DA, I think the share holders should open their mouths and DA, we should all ask questions…
Will the Honourable representative for the Mahaut constituency tell the nation what motivated the government to deide on a “small geothermal power plant”, insted of a power plant which would provide us with at least 100% of our electricity needs? Was the decision based on the pending sale of Domlec to LPH? Will the honourable representative tell the nation why our government has once again sold us into econimic slavery? Do you honourable men and women in this administration really have anything that remotely resembles consciences? Just a concerned labourite asking silly questions.
The Commonwealth of Dominica had a population of 71,293 at the 2011 Census.DOMLEC provides power to about 34,000 customers island-wide…am i too assume that the remaining 33,293 people still without lights in dominica,,,,wee boday….
Is it 1 person per household?
Yes fool EVERYONE of the 70,000 has a house.
I’m not a communist, but i firmly believe the electricity company should be in the hands of the people of Dominica as it was under the government of the late Dame Eugenia Charles administration in the 1980’s and up to 1995.Once again where is our so called private sector? Are they afraid to invest in such a venture? Or are they just content to be importers of goods for resale? Do we believe LPH has not seen an opportunity to rob our pockets? Think again.Does the ministers statement concerning a small geothermal plant have any bearing on the pending sale? Have our government sold us out once again? Lord help us.Just a concerned labourite asking silly questions.
haha…wonder if a name change of the island will bring some sense into it’s citizens….haha..
Dominica is a special case needs….lol
They sadly not a issue orientated Society..
They are extremely ignorant so change of regime will pretty much a gaza type mentality..
Shame on a island which back in the 60s,70s,80s, and 90s was a fore runner amongst the islands.
But child type leadership, excessive egos are dealing a blow to dominica…
hmm don’t think the citizens can deal with democracy at all….Skerrit saw the need to be a Dictator knowing that he wont be resisted.
Skero my boy sell everything you can even in Dominica…as the citizens love you to death they will never act to change things….
Not that I don’t agree with your sentiment … but to be fair Skerrit is not the one selling. It is the owners of Domlec.
WHO sold Domlec in the first place? To THEIR friends? Probably.
If Skerrit put a stop to this sale (if he could( The USA would be invading a few days later.
Yes but is Skerrit’s fault that he did not have the intelligence and foresight to capitalize on the opportunity to purchase.
Mamo would have. OH! But she did!!!!!
Cannot put rat to watch cheese. Nothing good ever comes out of that.
Sell the country too. chinese already buy out Roseau.
Chinee man? How he come into this?
Dominican should be the ones to have more say in that matter not a another country a man shouldn’t be aloud to come in your house and rule your house hold for u. wake up Dominican
The saying what goes around always comes around is very true. Remember all the blows the UWP received when it was alledged that the Minister of finance Tim Tim was responsible for advising Government to sell Government’s shares in Domlec.That same Minister is now with the Skerrit Labor Government,I believe it is time to make a wrong right.
All you forget who sell DOMLEC. Remember before all you start blaming PM for everything, Those are the things all you have to research and speak about before talking in recurring decimal style. We really need to put up signs “Who Sell Domlec and the Cost” like the one “27…………” We must look before we leap and talk one sided matters/
Papamet!!!, good thing I read on. That was what my comment was going to be too. That is why it is quiet and not swinging on Matt
“DOMLEC provides power to about 34,000 customers island-wide” is the stats really true?
Question is: How do you spell CARICOM? Or CSME for that matter. This is what it’s all about, freedom of movement for economic activity. Our people moving to other countries. Should we object to others moving to ours for economic gain?
No we should not. I agree.
It is that our island is crippled by Electricity costs. That should not have happened. Domlec should have been a Public utility.
Food and electricity are essentials and should not be open to such abuses by private racketeers who are squeezing the ppl of DA. Now another company taking over … why? Because the profits are so high. NOT to expand and help.
If business want to make money … go ahead … but not from the ppl suffering.
Who cares about Dominica? Didn’t you all put a government to take care of the country’s affairs?Have we heard from them on such an important matter that touchers virtually every household in Dominica?
A COUNTRY GETS THE GOVERNMENT IT PERMITS…
I am sure thousands of Dominicans will get back to “Boos Eye” if electricity rates are increased again by those who will soon be buying Domlec.
Many Dominicans cannot pay their monthly electricity bill, they pay half or three-quarters. Sleep Still!
And now that Domlec is acquired by a new company, the pensions and gratuities for people who have worked there for many years have now been RESET TO ZERO! LOL !!!
all’s well that ends well…
Idiot
Wow what revelation, and just how did you arrive at such a mind-bursting analysis? Hope you did not give yourself a headache, thanks for sharing!!!
As a former employee of DOMLEC, I would inform “stupes” that there is no pension nor gratuity at the company. To get reward if you chose to leave or if you get fired, employee save 3% of their salary every month in a fund. After 11 years of service, I left with less than $15,000 dollars.
good for you! it’s no one fault but YOURS!
and you still haven’t learned…..
“People get the governance they permit”
a hard head makes a soft rear end…
will they lay of worker
i don’t agree to this foregin share business
i ear dat brother
why doesn’t they sell the company to EDF of France that was Rosie dream
Why don’t they. Come back home pa pa.
The skerrit goverment ehh give WRB the license to mandate the plans they wanted for the company, so they decide to sell before the stipulated time is up. Shame on skerrit.
What were the plans?
this reminds me of a similar case…..,.where GEBE a light n water company that provides for St. Martin, Saba and another country i cant remember….the rate is very high and they company manager or whoever is in charge don’t care to lower the rates……they are actually very profitable business……
Honestly when i think hard and deep about Dominica
Nothing whatever happens now or in the future will ever surprise…
Dominica is a just a place where no one cares..plenty radio chatter, when comes for boots on the ground everyone inside peeping…
The Majority of citizens are extremely COWARD!
Dominicans are not known for fighting for a cause for their island forward movement when you listen to them and view their discus levels you just have to shake your head…
No success stories, best advice to the Labour Regime is you are already keeping everyone in the Dark….Please Prime Minister declare the island Sold as part of China, the citizens will praise you to the core for that..as they care less about what rolls in or out of Dominica….
that’s they mindset of many a dominican…
Writer you iz so kurrect…Dominicans are so dotish, they embawassay meyy toup….
Unfortunate, but true. Lazy, self-serving people. Where is the Dominica of 35 yrs. ago? It needs to return. The people have to change.
Stop being so blind. Where is the opposition from the Opposition party?
Give me a break man…. that’s the best analysis you can come up with??
Change is good but for whom? Are we to expect a few more employees from Dominica with the skills to do the jobs? Are we going to have to foot the bill on the oil price at a higher rate? Why haven’t the customers of DOMLEC been invited to purchase shares. Even if it’s a $10 share why not. We are doing it for ourselves and we should be able to manage our bills. An advice I got from a Chinese Merchant the other day is to purchase products that match for example buy a fan a a chinese store and get the adapter from there as well it help cut down on the price. It made good sense because I saw a major reduction on my light bill. But we need to have a hand in this situation so if DOMLEC has 34000 customers and government has 21% shares customers make up the rest to give us at a 55% lead. DNO spread let’s do it
To buy domlec means they see a profit, not a prophet to save us dominicans.
The only option we have is to politely refuse the new company and invest in Dominica.
1or 2 locals will get a kick back from this sale, meaning they will sell their MOTHERland.
What happened to solar and other alternate sources?
Well if this company fails, then remember a2z.dominica.
Solar In Dominica,
The monies that the prim minister so eagerly wants to invest into Liat should be used to purchase DOMLEC not stupid LIAT, a failing company who has not made any or very little interest to its’ investors for the last 8 years who has robe monies from countless small island economies.
We should look to invest in DOMLEC or look for a sponsor to build our international airport.
would’nt it have been a better idea if our government took over instead already social security has forty one percent. These are the things we should invest in. Change may be good but we know that when these foreign companies come in they usually cut down on staff or employ most of there people. Folks remember now we are talking about integration.
government should definitely step in and not no foreigner again.
change is good sometimes i hope this new company taking over will look at how best they can bring down electricity bills in dominica i must say this is too high and people salary not going up so there no way they can bring it up
my dear dominican open out eyes every thing is going from under us. airline is going cruis ship is gone look domlec soon to be gone don`t you realize the goverment we have now is not helping. labor is bad for dominica we a going down is that the next level? people wake up smell the coffee and do what is right for our beloved country its ours and when most of the ppl in goverment, fail us they will run away to another country, and we are the ones that will stay and suffer. please am crying am begging lets try to keep what we have .