By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Speaker Therese Terlaje criticized the administration for allegedly delaying the release of funds to the Guam Power Authority to cover the extension of the energy credit program.
The governor's office, however, said the funds in question have already been released.
The law, signed last week, extends the Prugråman Ayuda Para I Taotao-ta Energy Credit for another three months, from October to December. The measure, which provides ratepayers with $100 monthly credits on their power bills, appropriates $15.8 million from the general fund to GPA.
GPA General Manager John Benvante said last week his office will work with the Department of Administration to apply the first $5.27 million in funding for the first $100 increment toward October services for all active residential and commercial accounts.
"It’s extremely disappointing that this money has not yet been transferred by the Department of Administration to GPA to be credited to the first of the three months of residents’ power bills," Terlaje said. "This delay signals a shocking lack of urgency and compassion for the needs of our community.”
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Communications Director Krystal Paco-San Agustin said the administration has consistently released cash to GPA for the program in the last week of each month.
"We do this because we have been informed this would match GPA’s existing billing cycle. And this is exactly what is planned for next week," Paco-San Agustin said in a statement.
"It might be easy to accuse others of wrongdoing by relying on ignorance instead of information—but that can be cured by using a tool of modern communication known as the telephone. It might get in the way of a good press release, but at least you’d learn the truth," she added.
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