After Gov. Charles Turnbull submitted legislation that would allow the V.I. Telephone Corp. to deduct administrative costs for an emergency phone service surcharge, the company announced it would absorb the cost instead.
Turnbull’s recommendation would have allowed Vitelco to deduct $10,500 in start-up costs to begin 911 operating services, which the company will provide. Once the service was on line, Vitelco would have been able to deduct $1,000 a month to administer the collection and disbursement of the $1 surcharge on customers' bills.
After news of the deduction on Wednesday, however, Innovative Communication Corp., Vitelco’s parent company, announced that it would absorb all costs associated with the collection of the surcharge.
Samuel Ebbesen, Vitelco president and CEO, said that he "failed to consult with ICC during his discussions with the administration regarding the proposed changes to the legislation." He added that Vitelco was not initially consulted during the drafting of the bill, making it "difficult to execute the statute and meet the deadline originally mandated in the bill."
Turnbull’s recommendations would have also changed the starting date of the surcharge from Jan. 1, 2000 to March 1. The law, which passed the Legislature last November, charges $1 per customer to improve emergency medical services, fire services and 911 emergency equipment, according to a Government House release.
Ebbesen, meanwhile, said Vitelco is "simply the collection agency for the government."
"Vitelco has always worked to assist the government to the best of our abilities, and we will continue to do so," he said.