Minister Optimistic MTCC Accreditation will improve JPS Relationship

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, says the accreditation certificate awarded to the Meter Testing and Calibration Centre (MTCC) of the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS), should improve the relationship between the company and its customers.

“Consumers and the general public can have confidence that the results generated by this lab are accurate, traceable and reproducible.  This accreditation provides an opportunity for the JPS to improve its relationship with its consumers, being now able to accurately test all meters submitted to its laboratory,” the Minister said.

Mr. Hylton was speaking at the presentation of an accreditation certificate to the MTCC of the JPS by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), on May 11, at the Terra Nova Hotel.

Mr. Hylton reiterated the need for the JPS to collaborate with the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) in actively implementing the field monitoring and testing component of the Protocol on Meter Testing.

“Now is the time, therefore, to take questionable meters out of the field and have them accurately measured in the MTCC,” he said.

The accreditation of the MTCC means that this laboratory has been evaluated by a team of assessors who have looked at both the quality management system and the technical competence of the laboratory and found that it conforms to the requirements of the international accreditation standard ISO/IEC 17025.

In his remarks, Chairman of the JPS,  Hisaisugu Hirai, said  the ac creditation of the laboratory is one of the most important steps towards JPS becoming a world class power provider.

“Our dedicated staff have worked to improve quality and ensure that staff competencies comply with international standards. Now we are confident that our meter tests are accurate and reliable. Today JPS is moving forward and we recognise that if we are going to the next level, we should demonstrate excellence in every aspect of our operations,” Mr. Hirai said.

He noted that the company’s vision includes setting performance standards and goals that result in improvement in service delivery and customer experiences.

“We are seeking to transform the local energy landscape. This will include fuel diversification, improvement of efficiency of the generation plant by the replacing of older plants with new technology, and reduction of system losses and improvement in transmission and distribution network in this country,” the Chairman said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of JANAAC, Marguerite Domville, said it is hoped that with the accreditation of the MTCC, there will be less complaints from consumers about wrong meter readings.

“I know that this will take time and it is very much dependent on the will of the implementers to do it in a timely manner. But, this is a very good start and I am expecting the company to just build on it and make the whole situation better,” Mrs. Domville said.

By Latonya Linton, JIS Reporter