Attorney-at-law and intervenor in the Barbados Light & Power Company’s (BLPC) rate hearing, Tricia Watson, today failed in her bid to get the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) to postpone its Procedures and Issues Conference.                                                                                  Watson, working in collaboration with economist David Simpson, said she had sent correspondence to the commission last night informing it that the timing of the conference was inappropriate because there were outstanding matters that would influence any agreed issues list, particularly affecting the intervenors.“For example, it is uncertain as to what depreciation rates apply for the purposes of this application. That’s unclear. My interpretation is that it would be the 2009 depreciation rates, given that the FTC said in its decision that the rates approved in that decision are effective on the same date as any rates approved in the Barbados Light & Power’s current rate application,” the legal counsel told the conference.“That is my interpretation that the Barbados Light & Power must utilise the 2009 rates. If that is not the FTC’s intention, then that needs to be clarified,” the intervenor added. “In addition to that, the FTC in its decision, did not approve all of the depreciation submissions of the Barbados Light & Power. So inevitably, the depreciation schedules have to be revised and refiled for approval and those would have an impact on the rate application which will also require revisions,” Watson argued.