Parliament approves of urgent proposal to reduce electricity fee hikes

Parliament approves of urgent proposal to reduce electricity fee hikes

Published on Saturday, 09 November 2013 16:40

A Union Parliament session in progress on November 8 in Nay Pyi Taw (Photo: EMG)

Myanmar's Parliament has approved of discussing an urgent proposal to reduce the electricity fees that the government has increased recently. 

Lower House MP Aye Mouk from Mahlaing Constituency tabled the proposal during a session of the Union Parliament that took place in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday. 

The proposal says the public outcry is getting louder after the electric power ministry has nearly doubled the electricity price per unit without a prior public notice or the knowledge of parliament. The local media are also covering the news these days, giving critical comments. 

So, the government and the concerned ministry are urged to reduce the increased electricity fees and to change the number of units to 200 or 300 from the current 100. Moreover, increasing the price of over 200 units by one and a half times or two times should be reviewed for reduction. During the review, the collection of the increased electricity fees needs to be suspended and the progress must be reported to Union Parliament, the proposal suggests.  

It also calls for reassessment and review, instead of the ministry's plan to increase the electricity prices only for the reason of losses. 

Seven MPs then made their discussion showing their protest against the increased electricity fees. They said the electrical power enterprise was a public service, not a profitable business. Such increased prices can affect not only the ordinary people but also civil servants, retirees and the middle class, the MPs commented. 

They added that the corruption of government departments should be overseen while authorities needed to release those who were arrested for their protests against the recent electricity price hikes. They showed their protest against the increase because there was no sign of losses as stated in the ministry's budget. 

The Deputy Electric Power Minister, Aung Than Oo, explained the reasons of increasing the fees but promised to make a report to the government for review and report back to the Union Parliament for ensuring reasonable prices. 

"We have estimated the ministry will continue to have a loss of Ks 53.876 billion, excluding 25 percent income tax and 20 percent of sales going to the state funds. The ministry is able to distribute power to 30 percent of the nation's population. So investors have been invited. If they cannot do with the current prices, the state has to take the responsibility. Moreover, the ministry has much work for distributing electricity," said the deputy minister. 

Then, parliament decided to approve the proposal with no objection. 

Article 228 (a) of the 2008 Constitution says the Union Government shall implement the administrative resolutions passed occasionally by the Union Parliament and report back the actions which have been taken to parliament.     

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/11/09/parliament-approves-of-urgent-proposal-to-reduce-electricity-fee-hikes/