No new comprehensive meter audit identified, no fixed testing interval, and no verified 2026 tally of affected customers or financial adjustments—while outstanding bills remain collectible.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Dr. Luc Mercelina’s answers to Parliament on October 1 exposed a significant gap in the information available about GEBE’s billing system: government could describe how disputed meters are investigated, but could not provide verified figures showing how many customers were affected or how much money was involved in 2026.
Responding during the Central Committee’s consideration of the draft 2027 Budget, Mercelina said that, based on the information presently available, GEBE was not aware of a new comprehensive, system-wide audit covering all electricity and water meters.
The response leaves consumers with an unresolved question: how will the utility demonstrate the reliability of its billing beyond investigating individual complaints?
Meter Checks Remain Largely Reactive
Responding to MP Egbert J. Doran, Mercelina explained that smart electricity and water meters are calibrated by their manufacturers before installation.
Subsequent checks generally arise when customers report a possible consumption or billing issue, or when GEBE identifies one internally. Investigations can involve inspections, technical measurements, comparison meters and, for electricity, a power quality analyzer.
However, GEBE does not apply a fixed periodic field-testing or recalibration interval to every installed smart meter.
Mercelina said a fully functional advanced metering infrastructure system should help identify unusual conditions and consumption patterns, allowing more proactive monitoring. That describes an intended improvement; it does not provide the missing picture of current meter performance.
Parliament Still Lacks the Financial Picture
Doran sought the numbers of meters tested, meters found defective or inaccurate, customers affected, and the financial value of discrepancies in 2026.
Mercelina said those figures would require a verified review and reconciliation of investigation orders, change orders and billing records. He cautioned that an investigation alone does not establish that a meter is defective.
Nevertheless, the answer included no verified totals.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that both overbilling and underbilling have occurred historically. When a discrepancy favors a customer, the account receives a credit against applicable outstanding or future bills. When a customer has been underbilled, the difference is debited and becomes payable under the applicable conditions.
For Parliament, the next accountability test is clear: a reconciled report establishing what happened in 2026, how many people were affected, and the value of the adjustments.
Independent Testing Remains a Proposal
Asked whether consumers could obtain independent verification of disputed meters, Mercelina said the government would encourage GEBE to explore the possibility.
He described third-party testing as technically feasible, subject to qualified testing entities, clear standards, secure meter handling, responsibility for costs and acceptance of results.
No implementation date was provided. Consumers therefore received an expression of support for exploring independent verification, rather than confirmation of an operating mechanism.
Collection Continues While Confidence Remains Contested
Asked what concrete steps government was taking to restore billing confidence, Mercelina stated: “This is not a responsibility of the government.”
He immediately placed responsibility with GEBE and said government, as shareholder, continues to hold the company accountable. He also said billing concerns have featured in multiple shareholder meetings and that GEBE continues working with customers reporting discrepancies.
The distinction does not remove government’s oversight obligation. Mercelina identified himself elsewhere in the presentation as GEBE’s primary liaison for the Council of Ministers.
His response also emphasized collecting outstanding receivables and existing payment arrangements. That makes verified billing information especially important: consumers should be able to understand and challenge the amounts they are expected to pay.
Doran’s separate question about whether small and large businesses should face different commercial tariff structures was referred to the Minister of TEATT. Mercelina did not present a substantive tariff adjustment proposal.
Governance Repairs Are Still Unfinished
Responding to MP Francisco Lacroes, Mercelina said GEBE’s code of conduct and complaints procedure were still being documented and reviewed. The compliance officer role is expected to be filled in 2027, while a confidential advisor has not yet been appointed.
Audited financial reports for 2019 through 2024 have been submitted to shareholders, but questions remained, and the shareholder meeting had been adjourned pending further explanations. Parliament is to receive the reports through a confidential route after the shareholder process. The 2025 statements are still being prepared for the external auditor.
Mercelina also described cybersecurity improvements following the March 2022 attack and said a customer portal was approaching a controlled soft launch, subject to final security and readiness checks.
These are steps toward stronger operations. But the central questions remain unanswered: when will Parliament receive the verified billing figures, when will independent testing become available, and when will outstanding governance safeguards be completed?