BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SIGHS of relief can be breathed with the Water Department announcing that while its main bill-payment centre would be relocated to the outskirts of Basseterre, provision is being made for persons who would have otherwise been unable to make that journey.
In a notice issued by the St. Kitts-Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) on April 2012, the public was informed that the Water Department was in the process of separating and relocating its bill-payment office from the recently corporatised St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd. (SKLEC) located at the corner of Sprott and Central Streets.
The notice stated that the office which would be responsible for the “preparation and payment of water bills will be transferred to the Needsmust office as of September, 2012”.
Customers – some of whom spoke with this media house – have expressed justifiable concern about the inaccessibility of the new location as opposed to the current.
However, a subsequent release issued by SKNIS informed that in addition to the Needsmust billing centre, the Water Department is putting measures in place to ensure that all its customers have an easily-accessible bill payment site.
“The Water Services Department wishes to remind the general public that the bill preparation and payment office will be transferred to Needsmust as of September, 2012. The department would also like to remind customers that they can still use established commercial banks in downtown Basseterre as well as internet portals to pay current water bills at their convenience.
“Customers should also be assured that every effort is being made to enhance customer convenience by securing other payment centers in the Basseterre city centre such as General Post Offices and the Inland Revenue Department. These and other additional centers will be available for use shortly.”
Manager and Water Engineer of the Water Department, Cromwell Williams – while speaking with this media house – explained that the establishment of an outlet was being considered from the genesis of the relocation process and is not a response to public outcry.
“Originally, we issued a release indicating that as of about September this year we will be separating our billing from SKLEC and here at Needsmust will become our main billing office.
“Unfortunately, that release did not explain that we were considering also having an outlet in Basseterre where persons can also pay their bills. So we just issued a follow-up press release to clarify that, to indicate that while our main billing centre will be here at Needsmust we will have an outlet office in Basseterre where persons can pay their water bill.”
During the period of transition, customers are being asked to “visit or call the present billing centre at Central Street (465-2000) to ensure that accuracy of billing information”.
