The electricity sector needs to address and resolve the voters' concerns completely.

The issue of electricity price increases is heating up.

According to the report of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, regarding the electricity sector, there were 28 opinions and recommendations from voters sent to the electricity sector from the first to the sixth session of the 14th National Assembly, mainly focusing on the following issues: the work of receiving, returning, and upgrading rural power grids; bringing electricity to remote villages and hamlets that previously lacked electricity; and the need for a more reasonable electricity pricing system... These are also issues that the electricity sector has been addressing recently.

Responding to voters' requests for the Provincial People's Committee to direct the Electricity sector to bring electricity to communes and villages without access to the national power grid throughout the province, the Director of Nghe An Power Company, Trinh Phuong Tram, stated: Currently, phase 1 has completed 100% of the plan to provide electricity to 48 villages, hamlets, and centers in 16 communes of 3 districts: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, and Quy Chau.

Director of Nghe An Power Company, Trinh Phuong Tram, explains the voters' recommendations. Photo: Thanh Le

Phase 2 of the project will bring the national power grid to 185 villages and hamlets in 54 communes across 8 districts of the province. The Nghe An Power Company has completed the project planning, but is currently awaiting budget funding to continue implementation.

Regarding this matter, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Huy Cuong stated: The Prime Minister has issued Decision No. 1740/QD-TTg approving the target program for rural, mountainous, and island electrification, giai đoạn 2016-2020, which includes the list, investment needs, and capital allocation for the rural, mountainous, and island electrification program for Nghe An province. Accordingly, the investment capital for the national power grid in Nghe An province, with EVN as the investor, is 718 billion VND, of which EVN's counterpart capital is 108 billion VND.

Mr. Ta Huu Hung - Deputy Director in charge of Ban Ve Hydropower Company - clarifies the content of the voters' petition. Photo: Thanh Le

According to Mr. Cuong, the goal of having electricity in all villages by the end of 2020 is difficult to achieve because many villages are located tens of kilometers from the commune center, have fewer than 10 households, and lack roads leading into them, making it very difficult to bring electricity to these villages.

"To provide electricity to remote villages, the Provincial People's Committee has a project called 'Rural Electrification from Renewable Energy Sources,' with a total investment of 83 billion VND, of which 12 billion VND is the Provincial People's Committee's counterpart funding. Upon completion of these projects, all villages in the province will be supplied with electricity from the national grid using renewable energy sources," Mr. Cuong affirmed.

The "hot" issue of concern to voters is the increase in electricity prices. Regarding the method of calculating electricity prices, Mr. Trinh Phuong Tram clarified: The increase in customers' electricity bills last month was basically correct. Because the finalization of electricity bills for residential customers is on the 20th of each month, the calculation based on the new price only takes place two days prior. Therefore, the electricity bill for May clearly reflects the new price.

"This is a macro-level issue under the purview of the Vietnam Electricity Group and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, while local electricity companies operate according to regulations. Regarding the electricity price increase, the Government has directed the inspection team to request the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Electricity Group to clarify the matter," Mr. Tram said.

Invest in a flood warning system.

Regarding hydropower projects, the main issues raised by voters in their petitions remain the slow and inadequate allocation of land for production, leading to relocated households returning to live within the reservoir area; and the negative impacts and consequences of hydropower on the lives of people in mountainous districts.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Tran Van Mao stated that Nghe An province has many hydropower plants, which greatly affect socio-economic development and people's lives. "The biggest concern is the current landslide situation in mountainous districts. The Ban Ve Hydropower Company needs to coordinate with local authorities and develop a long-term strategy and policies to reinvest in areas with hydropower plants."

"At the same time, focus on effectively managing flood discharge, pay attention to investing in a flood flow warning system for hydropower reservoirs, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, in line with the requirements for flood control and reduction in the downstream area during the flood season and water supply to the downstream area during the dry season," Mr. Tran Van Mao suggested.

Ban Ve hydroelectric plant releases floodwaters. Photo courtesy of Nhat Lan.

During the meeting, the electricity sector also suggested that the provincial National Assembly delegation propose to the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to direct the Vietnam Electricity Group to advance capital for the rural electrification project; to create maximum favorable conditions in the compensation and land clearance work for electricity projects according to the required objectives and progress, ensuring land for the project; and to have separate regulations for replacing existing power poles in cases of land encroachment designated for roads, etc.

The Provincial National Assembly Delegation proposes that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment promptly submit to the Prime Minister a revised operating procedure for interconnected reservoirs in the Ca River basin before the 2019 rainy season; and that the project for a meteorological and hydrological radar monitoring system be implemented soon to improve the quality of meteorological and hydrological forecasts for the Ca River.

Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Huy Cuong speaks at the working session. Photo: Thanh Le

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Nguyen Thanh Hien acknowledged the efforts of the electricity sector in serving the socio-economic development of the locality.

The Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation also expressed his hope that the electricity sector would continue to focus on fulfilling its political nhiệm vụ, effectively implementing social welfare policies, and carrying out the conclusions of the Government, ministries, departments, and Nghe An province. He also requested that Nghe An Electricity and hydropower projects pay attention to, responsibly address, and definitively resolve the voters' requests.