The Antigua Public Utilities Authority wrote off “a couple of millions” in longstanding and largely uncollectible debt under its amnesty programme, Acting Financial Controller Sabrina Benjamin said.

Benjamin said the write-off covered old balances that had remained on APUA’s financial records despite little prospect of the money being recovered.

“We wrote off a couple of millions,” Benjamin said.

She explained that most of the accounts were already considered uncollectible, meaning the write-off did not represent a sudden loss of revenue that APUA had expected to receive.

The action allowed the authority to remove dormant balances from its books and present a more accurate assessment of the money it could realistically collect from customers.

Benjamin did not provide an exact value for the debt written off or disclose how many customer accounts were affected.

The write-off was linked to APUA’s amnesty programme, which offered customers an opportunity to settle outstanding accounts under special arrangements. Such programmes are generally intended to recover at least part of longstanding arrears while clearing balances that are unlikely to be collected in full.

The disclosure comes as APUA faces increased financial pressure from rising fuel expenditure. The authority reported that its monthly fuel bill climbed from EC$11 million in January to EC$21.8 million in July.

APUA has also resumed disconnections for unpaid accounts but says customers experiencing financial difficulties can approach its customer service department to arrange manageable payment plans.

Officials said customers who formally dispute a bill will not be disconnected over that charge while an investigation is underway. The authority will examine the meter reading and the customer’s consumption before deciding whether an adjustment is justified.

APUA has not indicated whether another amnesty programme is being considered.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: APUA Writes Off “Couple of Millions” in Old, Uncollectible Debt.