PHILIPSBURG–Lowering its energy bill and that of consumers, offering new services and shifting from fossil fuel to gas are amongst some of the key items that will be included in the five-year strategic business plan of utilities company GEBE.
The plan will span from 2019 to 2023 and is currently in draft form being finalised. GEBE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenrick Chittick told The Daily Herald that the plan is expected to be completed in the next few weeks “as most of the ground work was already in draft version.”
Areas of importance in the strategic plan are enhancing GEBE’s customer care area, introducing new services such as client meters, digital payments and improving customer relations. GEBE also plans to shift from fossil fuel to gas, which is expected to reduce GEBE’s energy bill as well as that of consumers. Protecting the environment at the company’s power plant and surrounding areas, improving the water grid and storage capacity, renewables, having a modern office space for employees and customers and an electrical grid that can withstand any major hurricane with 100 per cent underground cabling to meet the growing demand of consumers are other areas of focus.
The strategic business plan was completed before hurricane Irma struck the island in September last year and had been pending approval. “Since the hurricane, we were forced to revisit our strategic business plan and budget as the plans that were laid out would not be feasible anymore due to shifts in priorities,” Chittick said. “Take for instance the main office building – this was planned to be demolished in the previous strategic business plan, but since September 6, 2017, the focus has to be in the short term in order to have an adequate working environment for employees.”
GEBE held a strategic planning session recently and each department within the company had a chance to review the proposed areas in the plan and come with additional suggestions and comments. During that session a timeline of implementation based on discussions within the various workgroups was also ironed out. Chittick said each work group had one-on-one sessions with each managing director to get an overview of the managing board’s views and to pin theirs on paper with a timeline.
Asked what specific steps GEBE will take to become “one of the top organisations” in the energy sector in the Caribbean as was mentioned following the strategic planning session, Chittick said: “By reducing our carbon footprint by 100 per cent operation on gas, having a state-of-the-art meter infrastructure where the customer will have an experience and be up-to-date on the hour of their bills and by improving our personnel skills and knowledge in areas not only work related, but also aid in their personal life. The provision of high quality water and electricity to the community of St. Maarten is the most important goal of GEBE … With the underground infrastructure, GEBE will be a leading example and would be able to be online during any hurricane and right after within hours with hurricanes such as Irma. [We will also be – Ed.] up to the modern age with technology.”
Chittick said changing global trends, higher customer expectations and “the fire within to challenge the status quo,” have led to GEBE’s decision to review its current strategic ambitions.
“Being a company that provides two of the basic necessities in life is not always easy. The provision of high quality water and electricity to the community of St. Maarten is still by far the most important goal of GEBE. The desire to transform the way GEBE conducts business plays a major role. There has been a shift in focus regarding increasing the reliability of the services and enhancing the overall experience of customers. This five-year strategic business plan outlines the most important strategic priorities of GEBE for the next five years.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/78882-reducing-energy-bills-and-new-services-in-gebe-5-year-plan
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