Ministry of Industry and Trade confirms no increase in electricity prices

The average retail price of electricity remains unchanged at 1,508.85 VND/kWh.

At the regular press conference held on June 2 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr. Dinh The Phuc - Deputy Director of the Electricity Regulatory Authority emphasized that Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) did not adjust electricity prices on June 1.

Accordingly, the retail electricity price list issued under Decision No. 4887/QD-BCT dated May 30, 2014 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is structured according to the retail electricity price list structure stipulated in Decision No. 28/2014/QD-TTg dated April 7, 2014 of the Prime Minister, on the basis of adjusting a number of customer groups and prices of the current electricity price list, replacing Decision No. 268/2011/QD-TTg. This is not an increase in electricity prices, because the average retail electricity price remains at 1,508.85 VND/kWh as stipulated in Circular No. 19/2013/TT-BCT dated July 31, 2013 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In addition, starting from June 1, electricity prices for island areas, including household electricity prices and production electricity prices, will be applied at the same price as on the mainland, instead of having to pay more than 10,000 VND/kWh of electricity as before.

Mr. Dinh The Phuc said that the basis for making Decision No. 28 of the Prime Minister and Decision No. 4887 to adjust retail prices is based on updating the structure of electricity consumption output, with the latest parameters of the first quarter of 2014 and of 2013, from which the output structure is recalculated while still ensuring the average retail price is 1,058.85 VND as before.

In addition, if comparing the electricity price under Decision No. 28 and Decision No. 268, the retail price of electricity for production during off-peak hours has increased slightly, electricity for production including electricity for administrative and professional sectors and electricity for agriculture has also increased. However, electricity for daily life and business has decreased compared to before.

Also according to this circular, social policy households according to the criteria prescribed by the Prime Minister (not poor households) and whose monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 50kWh are entitled to electricity support policies. Poor households according to the criteria prescribed by the Prime Minister continue to be entitled to electricity support policies. The monthly electricity support level is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 30kWh calculated according to the current retail price of household electricity at level 1.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai also affirmed that there will be no power shortage in 2014. Currently, there are at least 10 projects being implemented. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to coordinate with EVN to ensure the project is implemented on schedule; at the same time, affirming that in the near future, electricity prices will not increase./.

According to VOV.VN