Relief for low-end users

Redbulls · 1 Relief for low-end users Thu May 02, 2013 6:44 pm

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A 25% relief on the fuel surcharge is expected to be given to consumers who use between 61 and 180 units. It will come into effect from April 20, The Government Information Department said.
http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/28912-relief-for-low-end-users.html

sriranga

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by Ifham Nizam

Following President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s May Day instructions to give relief to lower rung consumers, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had decided to forego some eight billion rupees in benefits to the larger segment of users, a senior official of the Power and Energy Ministry said.

The Power and Energy Ministry will officially hand over the relevant documents, recommendations and methodology to the regulatory body, the Public Utilities Commission today.

Ministry Secretary M. M. C. Ferdinando told The Island that the CEB would reduce the Fuel Adjustment Charges (FAC) by 25 per cent, from 40 per cent to 30 per cent, from the category using between 61 and 160 units.

He said that consumers using 61 to 90 and 91 to 120 units would be given an additional five units rather than making them pay more because of a one or two unit differences.

The Secretary who has worked under four ministers said that those who used up to 60 units would have to pay the same amount as in the last bill.

Nearly 50 per cent of electricity consumers numbering 2.4 million, who used less than 60 units would benefit from the government’s latest move, experts said.

The CEB Engineers Union, while welcoming the move, said that the government had to bear the subsidy.

Union president Nandika Pathirage told The Island that there was no way the CEB expenditure could be curtailed, as stated by the Public Utilities Commission.

President Rajapaksa on May Day assured that there would be no tariff increase for those who use less than 60 units per month.

He also said that on the monthly electricity bill there would be relief for those using five units in excess of any particular slab.

The total loss of the CEB in 2012 has been Rs. 61 billion. In 2013, the expenditure of CEB jumped to Rs. 256 billion. However, the income remained at Rs. 178 billion, forcing the tariff revision.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=78118