The rate freeze sought by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) for next year has been rejected by the Public Utilities Board.
Instead of a freeze, the board has ordered MPI to cut rates by 5% starting April 1, citing projections that claims costs in the following years will be lower than what the Crown-owned insurer is anticipating.
The board also expressed concern over MPI’s heavily scrutinized IT modernization project.
Project Nova was originally budgeted at $86 million, but it is now estimated to cost roughly three times that amount.
The board said that it “does not have confidence” that the cost of the project will stay within budget, especially since MPI has had to revise its cost estimates before.
“Ultimately, [we are] concerned that the amount may far exceed $290 million,” read the note from the board, which was released Monday.
Responding to the Public Utilities Board’s decision, MPI said it welcomes a 5% rate decrease.
“A 5% overall rate decrease will help provide financial relief to customers across the province who continue to manage high costs of living,” a statement from the Crown corporation read.
MPI also addressed the board’s concerns about the ballooning budget of its IT modernization initiative, stating that it has “entered into a new agreement … to provide governance oversight to Project Nova.”
As part of this move, MPI said it appointed a new chief information and technology officer who will offer “executive leadership” to the project, as well as other IT initiatives.
Earlier this year, Manitoba’s former Progressive Conservative government initiated an external review on the escalating costs of Project Nova.
MPI also faced criticism due to revelations that a former senior executive was reimbursed $23,500 in commute expenses.
More challenges came as MPI’s workers went on a two-month strike that began in late August.
The labour action ended after the new NDP government replaced the replaced the corporation’s board of directors and paved the way for a wage offer including increases of at least 13% over four years. However, MPI employees now have to wade through a backlog of claims, road tests, and other appointments.
“All I can do is ask Manitoba ratepayers to be patient with us a little bit longer while we try and get through all of this and get our services back on track,” MPI’s new board chair, Carmen Nedohin, said of the backlog last month.
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