Sorry But It Is Beyond Our Control - Is It Really ?
Written by Pio Sioa
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Every time the price of petrol goes up the standard line of response from Government is - ‘sorry but it is beyond our control.’
The response has become so standardised maybe the Minister of Finance should have a special signage kept in office for use every time the price of oil goes up.
His secretary can always have the sign hanging out of his office window at the Central Bank, whenever he has to announce any new price increases.
What is sad about the whole situation is that it is true. The jump in world prices is really beyond our control. It is drummed to us all the time.
The oil producing countries literally have us Samoans over the proverbial barrel.
Whenever new price increases are announced, the ripple effects are always not too far behind, and this is where we all come in.
The ripples in Samoa these past few days have started with the new consumer charges on electricity and water supply.
The Electric Power Corporation has tinkled in a few sene more on surcharges for consumers to carry.
The Samoa Water Authority is pumping up their charges as well.
The understanding hearts will interpret the increases as difficult ones to make. It is probably based on past practices, where Government will relent to financial adjustments only when the state corporations are really hurting in the pocket.
The Electric Power Corporation for example has been in financial pain for sometime. But rather than pass the burden off to consumers through surcharges, CEO Muaausa Joseph Walters and his administration were probably told to juggle it off.
Now that they have finally booted the surcharges of electricity up, it means they have juggled their backs right up to the wall. No where else to go Minister! Sorry but its beyond our control!
The onset of the hurricane season brought the rain to kick in, in a contributing way hydro generated electricity. Obviously it provides some form of relief for the EPC folks.
The longer they can keep it going the better it is for them to catch their breath, until the sun drought season comes around again.
The Samoa Water Authority have obviously grappled with their problems too. Now we finally find out about them as well.
But the ripple effect is just starting to sweep across now.
A small restaurant in Apia for example has responded to the increases by putting up their prices as well.
Most likely by the end of the week, we would all be juggling the few extra sene we require to obtain what used to be available at lesser costs.
‘Sorry but it is beyond our control’
There it is again! Seems like everywhere we turn that infuriating response is right there in our faces. Taunting and haunting us.
Are we so totally helpless? Are we beyond hope of finding a way around our predicament?
Recently in China, the criticisms about the extent of the pollution from the millions of cars on the roads, resulted in a new policy where car owners were allowed on the roads on designated times only.
The idea is to cut down on the number of cars belching out exhaust fumes responsible for the pollution.
Owners were encouraged to commute through the public transportation system.
In Germany this week, the world’s first commercial cargo ship partially powered by a giant kite is setting sail from Germany to Venzuela.
The computer controlled kite, measuring close to 2,000 sq feet is expected to cut fuel consumption by as much as 20 per cent.
The two examples are worth pondering in Samoa if we are to seriously look at ways we can cut down on our fuel demands and subsequently our fuel imports bill.
The EPC has been trialing coconut fuel to subsidise oil for some of their vehicles, and apparently found it to be promising.
CEO Muaausa and his people are obviously on the right track. But they will probably need more time to experiment and run tests, before it is approved for the use of the general public.
Solar and windmills are other sustainable and cheaper forms of energy available, and have already been looked at seriously.
Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of time where we can sit back and wait for the experiments to be successful. That could still be years ahead – after we have long gone.
Our time is now and contrary to that hateful excuse, sorry but it is beyond our control, surely there should be enough brain power around to do something.
The Chinese road policy is a more practical one that we can apply in Apia tomorrow if Government is daring enough.
If they can dictate without good enough reason, that we should all switch to driving on the wrong side of the road, why not a policy where vehicles are given designated times to be on the road?
If our Lady Samoa can save 20 per cent on its fuel bill by flying a kite – why not look at that sort of thing?
Government is very fond of setting up committees to assess new policies or coming up with new ones that will benefit the country at large.
Why not set up one to find ways to cut our fuel bill.
For goodness sake, anything constructive or pretending to be one is better than – sorry but it is beyond our control.
What a sad defeatist attitude to have.
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