Dear FTC,I have not seen anyone come to my home to read my electricity meter recently. How often is the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited (BL&P) supposed to read it and how do I know when it has been read?– ResidentDear Resident,The Commission in its Standards of Service for BL&P, requires the company to read the meters of all domestic and general service customers every two months. So if it was read in April your bill would indicate such with an “R” and the next month you will then receive an Interim Bill “I” which is based on an average from previous read bills. If your bill shows an estimate “E” or you have not received a read bill for several months you should, in the first instance, contact the BL&P. If the problem persists you should write to, visit or call the Commission for resolution of the complaint.Dear FTC,Could you explain to me in simple terms what public procurement and bid-rigging mean?– UnofficialDear Unofficial,Public procurement is the process by which Government departments or agencies purchase goods and services from the private sector. This also includes rental, lease or hire purchase.Bid-rigging is where businesses, in response to a tender for procurement, may meet and agree among themselves, who will win the tender. The Fair Competition Act outlaws this anti-competitive conduct and businesses found guilty are liable to a fine, imprisonment or both.• If you have any questions email us at info@ftc.gov.bb, call us at 424-0260 or visit our website www.ftc.gov.bb. You may also visit our offices at ‘Good Hope’, Green Hill, St Michael.
