~Long-delayed meeting adjourned after dozens of questions remain unanswered; relief measures still dependent on information government says it has yet to receive~
PHILIPSBURG:--- A parliamentary meeting on NV GEBE, first requested in 2025, ended Friday without a conclusion after Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina acknowledged that numerous questions from Members of Parliament remained unanswered, forcing the session to be adjourned and to be continued at a later date.
The unusual ending came after hours of discussion on utility tariffs, consumer relief, fuel costs, financial reporting, and governance issues.
As the meeting progressed, several Members of Parliament, including MP Ardwell Irion and MP Egbert Doran, challenged the Prime Minister's responses, arguing that many of their questions had been either generalized, grouped together, or left unaddressed.
By the end of the session, the Prime Minister acknowledged that additional work was needed and requested time to provide complete answers.
The result was a parliamentary meeting nearly a year in the making that ended with lawmakers still waiting for many of the responses they originally requested.
Government says relief depends on data it still doesn't have
One of the most significant revelations during the debate concerned the ongoing effort to provide relief to electricity consumers.
For months, residents have demanded answers about high electricity bills, fuel clause charges, and the absence of meaningful reductions in utility costs.
However, Mercelina told Parliament that the government remains constrained by law.
According to the Prime Minister, Article 12.4 of the Electricity Concession Ordinance requires any tariff adjustment to be based on verified cost-oriented data provided by the concession holder, NV GEBE. Without that information, the government cannot legally establish or alter tariffs.
The Prime Minister said this was precisely why the government activated the Bureau of Telecommunications and Post (BTP) as a supervisory authority.
"The supervisor now has the authority to obtain the verified operational and financial data that GEBE has not provided before," Mercelina stated.
The admission raises a troubling question: if the government still requires verified information before it can legally intervene in tariff structures, how soon can consumers realistically expect relief?
Decades-Old Formula Under Review
Another revelation involved the controversial 8.5 percent loss factor that forms part of GEBE's fuel clause calculations.
According to figures presented by the Prime Minister, actual non-revenue electricity losses have remained below 8.5 percent for years. The government reported losses of 6.4 percent in 2019, 6.7 percent in 2020, 5.9 percent in both 2021 and 2022, 6.5 percent in 2023, 7.3 percent in 2024, and 7.6 percent in 2025.
Mercelina said the 8.5 percent factor has reportedly remained unchanged in tariff calculations for at least 35 years.
The Prime Minister indicated that the figure may now be subject to review as part of the ongoing tariff study.
For consumers questioning fuel clause charges, the disclosure is likely to intensify calls for greater scrutiny of how electricity costs are calculated.
Financial Recovery Continues
The Prime Minister also provided updates on GEBE's financial position.
According to Mercelina, the utility recorded a loss of approximately NAf. 24.1 million in 2025, largely due to lower gross margins, increased maintenance expenses and provisions for doubtful receivables.
Despite those losses, GEBE is projecting a return to profitability in 2026 with an estimated profit of NAf. 4.5 million.
The utility's annual operational budget currently stands at approximately NAf. 121.2 million.
At the same time, outstanding payables at the end of 2025 totaled NAf. 184.7 million, underscoring the scale of the financial challenges still confronting the company.
Audit Progress after Years of Delays
Parliament was also informed that GEBE's long-delayed financial statements are finally moving toward completion.
The 2020 through 2022 financial statements have been finalized but received disclaimer opinions from auditors due to the impact of the cyberattack on financial records and operational systems.
The 2023 financial statements, however, received an unqualified audit opinion and are now available, while the 2024 statements are being finalized.
The development marks an important milestone in GEBE's efforts to restore financial reporting credibility after years of disruption.
Millions paid through the concession system
The Prime Minister also disclosed that GEBE's concession fee has steadily increased since 2010 and now stands at approximately NAf. 7.9 million annually.
Between 2018 and 2025 alone, concession fees totaled more than NAf. 54 million. However, the government explained that these amounts were largely offset against government utility consumption through a balancing arrangement rather than paid as direct cash transfers.
More Questions than Answers
Perhaps the most striking moment of the day came not from the answers provided but from those that were missing.
After MPs challenged the completeness of the Prime Minister's responses, Mercelina conceded that a misunderstanding had occurred regarding several sets of parliamentary questions and pledged to return with additional answers.
Chairlady Sarah Wescot-Williams subsequently adjourned the meeting, noting that Parliament could not proceed to clarifications or a second round of debate until all questions had been properly addressed.
For consumers hoping the long-awaited meeting would finally deliver definitive answers on tariffs, relief and electricity costs, Friday's proceedings ended much the same way they began: with many questions still unresolved and another continuation meeting now required.
