TACLOBAN CITY – The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) urges residents in the region to participate in the nationwide protest through a 30-minute “Parung Suga!” Kontra 40 centavos/kwh power rate hike, Stop Privatization and Repeal Epira Law campaign on October 11, Tuesday, at 7:30 to 8:00 in the evening.
The 30-minute power off and noise barrage aims for residents in the region to become participative in the issue of increasing power rate and make the government have a concrete solution and action in the problem.
Recently, the National Power Corp.(NAPOCOR) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) filed a petition to the Energy Regulatory Commission to increase the power rate by 40 centavos/kwh intended for the recovery of NAPOCOR’s stranded debts amounting to $65.019 and included the stranded contract cost amounting to $74.2988 of the Universal Charge.
This debt, according to the FDC, will be passed on to the consumers, which, based on the timeline of the PSALM, will be paid by consumers for 25 years.
At present, PSALM is just waiting for the provisional authority in order to start charging electricity consumers, FDC added.
In order to secure consumers interest and to prevent electric consumers in the region and in the Visayas to become victims of high power rates the government according to FDC should stop privatizing the remaining government assets like the 640 MW Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plant Supply Contract.
Aside from the privatization, FDC also sees that the government should cancel all contracts with independent power producer.
Problem on high power rates, according to FDC, is not just a problem of ordinary citizens but including the business sector that consumes bigger amount of electric supply for their business.
High power rates in an area can also discourage would-be investors to invest in a potential place.
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