Director of Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade clearly explains the shortcomings of electricity prices

Continuing the questioning session, this afternoon, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Hoang Van Tam and Director of Nghe An Electricity Company Bang Hong Hien took the stage to explain "hot" issues related to electricity management in the province.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Hoang Van Tam reported and explained the contents questioned by the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Inadequacies in rural power grid repayment

Questioning the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, delegate Dinh Thi An Phong (Nghi Loc) asked questions at the meetings of the Provincial People's Council, especially the meeting on July 19, 2018. The Department of Industry and Trade and the Electricity Company answered at the questioning session that they would work with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Northern Power Corporation to find solutions to remove difficulties in the provisions of Circular 32 to refund the money for lowering the voltage of the rural power grid to the people. So how far have the Department and the Nghe An Electricity industry implemented it in the past time and what are the results?

Delegate Dinh Thi An Phong questioned the inadequacies in restoring rural power grids. Photo: Thanh Cuong

According to delegate An Phong, in Nghi Loc district, the Electricity sector is responsible for 23 units, but 20 units do not have to return. There are 3 units Nghi Lam, Nghi Kieu, Nghi Kieu that must be returned, but since the handover until now, all 3 communes have not received any return.

Regarding this issue, delegate Phan Thi Thanh Thuy (Thai Hoa town) reported the slow handover of the power grid to Dong Hieu Farm. This delegate said that currently, many power pole locations are not guaranteed.

Clarifying the concerns of the delegates, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Hoang Van Tam said that before the July 2018 meeting, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinated with relevant departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee to report and send the Provincial National Assembly Delegation to make recommendations to the National Assembly. The National Assembly assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance to study and respond to the regulations in Circular 32.

These two ministries have responded and sent documents to the Department of Industry and Trade on the Law on Property and the Law on Budget, so the amendment has not been implemented because it is being implemented according to the current Law. The Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Industry and Trade and the Office of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation have sent responses to the localities.

Delegate Lo Thi Kim Ngan (Que Phong unit) questioned when villages and hamlets without electricity will have electricity from the national grid. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Further clarifying the opinions of the delegates, Mr. Bang Hong Hien - Director of Nghe An Electricity Company said that from July 2018 to now, the Electricity Company and the province have made many efforts to restore the power grid.

As a result, 60 communes were reimbursed, of which 17 communes were reimbursed in cash in 2019, and 43 communes are waiting for approval to receive money in 2020. This is the result of Nghe An Electricity Company and Nghe An Provincial People's Committee actively working with the receiving asset owner, the Northern Power Corporation.

Director of Nghe An Electricity, Bang Hong Hien, clarified the contents of the questions raised by the Provincial People's Council delegates. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Director of Nghe An Electricity said that currently, there are 28 communes that have submitted documents. We hope that local authorities at all levels will coordinate and direct units that do not yet have documents, so that the company can fulfill its responsibilities and try to return these 28 communes before May 2021.

Overcoming shortcomings in electricity prices

Delegate Lo Thi Kim Ngan (Que Phong) asked: "When will people in villages without electricity be able to use the national grid?"

Some delegates of the Provincial People's Council also raised concerns about electricity prices. How is this implemented in Nghe An? Has the Department monitored the collection of electricity prices at boarding houses?

Delegate Nguyen Tu Phuong questioned the price of electricity sold to students and workers in boarding houses. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Clarifying the concerns of the delegates, the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade affirmed: Regarding the inspection and handling of violations of electricity laws, after questioning in 2019, the Department of Industry and Trade advised the Provincial People's Committee to establish interdisciplinary inspection teams chaired by the Department of Industry and Trade and requested the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to establish inspection teams to handle violations.

Through inspection, it was found that apartment units are currently applying the provisions of the Real Estate Law allowing apartment management units to collect additional fees. This is an inadequacy in selling electricity prices.

Regarding the sale of electricity at boarding houses, Mr. Tam said that after Circular 25 and Directive 17 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade were issued, the Department of Industry and Trade advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue an official dispatch, guiding the subjects who are boarding house owners to sell preferential electricity prices to students and workers staying in boarding houses in accordance with regulations.

In 2019, the Department's inspection team inspected a number of boarding houses. Currently, they are guiding boarding houses to grasp this regulation to sell electricity to tenants.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong concluded the questioning on State management of electricity. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Answering the question of when the villages and hamlets without electricity will have electricity from the national grid, Mr. Bang Hong Hien said that this is a big problem. In 2013, when the Prime Minister's Decision 2081 on building power stations for villages, hamlets and islands ended in 2020.

In theory, the policy is like that, but since 2014 when receiving the Decision 2081 project, we have only provided electricity to 16 commune centers and 43 villages and hamlets. At this stage, the company is providing electricity to 40 hamlets in the Ban Ve reservoir area of ​​Tuong Duong, Quy Chau, Ky Son districts, the remaining 150 hamlets under the 2081 Program must be transferred to the 2020-2025 phase.

In addition, the questions of the provincial People's Council delegates were received, explained, answered and clarified by the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade and the Director of Nghe An Electricity Company.

Thanh Chuong Power Company increases the capacity of Thanh Ha Intermediate Substation from 1,800kvA to 2,500kvA to prevent overload in Summer 2020. Photo: pcnghean

Concluding the questioning session, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong affirmed that at the questioning session, the contents were answered frankly and with quality by the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade and the Director of Nghe An Electricity Company.

In the coming time, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council proposed that the Provincial People's Committee work with the Northern Power Corporation and Nghe An Electricity sector to speed up the approval of documents, promptly repay capital to the grid investor; at the same time, handle difficulties and inadequacies in the repayment process due to capital increase and decrease.