NV GEBE (file photo)
PHILIPSBURG--The entering of data from clients in the system of utilities company NV GEBE had to be redone to some extent because it was done in varying formats the first time it was inputted following the 2022 ransomware attack.
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs gave the explanation when asked what is causing the billing issues that are still being encountered, during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
“We were made to understand that ... data provided last year this time as to how far they were in recovering the whole invoicing and billing system were inaccurate,” Jacobs explained.
“After further discussion, it was much further behind than that and they are currently about 75% recovered. So, there are 25% of clients – it could be businesses or citizens – that are still not receiving bills but they [GEBE – Ed.] are diligently working on that. It became challenging because garbage in, garbage out. So, when you make mistakes in inputting information or if you don’t use the same format, if you have several people inputting information into a system and it’s not the same format, then you end up with challenges. So, a lot had to be redone, which is being done [now] and is being done meticulously, and for those that still have challenges, then they have to go completely back. They may have to call you in to bring certain things to corroborate what information is in there, but we have asked GEBE to also be a little more proactive in ensuring to inform the citizens as to where they are, what’s being done and I look forward to them doing so as well.”
Asked how GEBE is faring financially given that clients who are not receiving bills might not be paying their bills, she said the company has seen an up-tick in payments given that GEBE has completed 75% of the information that needed to be re-inputted.
“I believe the time of the hack really did wreak havoc on information from the year previous. So, there was a good backlog of a year that had to be re-inputted, so it’s quite a lot of information for all of the vendors; and so I would like to encourage [clients] … to at least pay what you used to pay before, because if you have not and if you haven’t been paying, then you will definitely end up on a list to be cut, because you are being provided with electricity consistently despite all the challenges that GEBE has faced.”
She continued: “In some countries of the world you consume and pay a standard amount each month and at the end of the year, you are reconciled, similar to what you do with your phone like a top-up type of a system. So, I think we are moving towards more digitisation and with digitisation run the risk of [information and communications technology] ICT challenges, but I am asking the people of St. Maarten to bear with our one and only electricity company. They are getting things on par. At the end of the day, it’s a human resource that they have to use the hard workers at NV GEBE as well as others that they have brought in to assist in getting this process finalised. And they are seeing great improvement, so I look forward to it happening as you and the rest of the community, sooner rather than later; and I implore on GEBE to get these questions answered on a regular basis.”
