Shock

Even the least squeamish and the worst at mental math were not left out when the first electricity bill was revealed after the previously seemingly “gentle” price increase announcement. Oh, the increase was vicious, not 8.36% as initially announced, but in reality it was said to be no less than 35%! Even in some large cities, the electricity bill had increased 2 to 3 times compared to last month. Like a fierce price shock sweeping across the length of the country, people took out their wallets in a state of shock because the spending plans of each family and business had to be “erased and rewritten” from the beginning.

While the magic phrase “increasing electricity prices for the benefit of all people” was explained so academically that no one could understand it, a shocking piece of information was revealed after the failed secret stamping attempts: “EVN is saving 42,000 billion VND”! Isn’t it amazing, chronic losses, having to dig into people’s pockets to increase prices to compensate, but having “a fortune to eat and save” of 42,000 billion VND! And it was really shocking when an EVN representative declared that 42,000 billion VND in savings was still not enough. In response to the above issue that is attracting public attention, especially in the context of a sharp increase in electricity prices, EVN has issued a written response.

According to the explanation in this document, the deposit balance of more than VND 42,000 billion at the end of June 2018 of EVN compared to the short-term debt balance at the same time (more than VND 106,000 billion) is too small, not enough to be used to immediately pay off debts to fuel suppliers (gas, coal, electricity sales) of VND 55,000 billion and repay due bank debts of VND 22,000 billion. "Due to the large capital demand for investment, production and business, the above deposit balance can only help EVN and its member units complete their assigned tasks" - the document signed by Deputy General Director Nguyen Xuan Nam on behalf of EVN's General Director clearly stated.

Borrowing is borrowing, debt is debt, saving is saving, a type of accounting that is so difficult to understand. However, the "torture" question is about the interest rate for this amount of money called "savings" which is only 0.2%/year. 0.2% a year but still using the word "savings" is too unfair, while if you deposit for a term, the minimum interest rate is also 4.5%/year. A difference enough for suspicious minds to have reason to... continue to doubt. It must also be said that not long ago, several major banking scandals (like the Ha Van Tham case) also called the difference similar to this with a "pretty cool" phrase: "customer care costs". Hopefully, the "guys" at EVN are not foolish, and certainly do not belong to the group of customers who are sick enough to need "care".

Back to the shocking electricity bills, people have always been the same, simple, trusting, and resigned. Without specialized training and without being "scaled", people have a very rough way of calculating, an increase of 8.36% means an increase of 8.36%! Simply put, if you used up 100,000 VND in the past, then after the price increase it will be 108,000 VND or odd. That's it, that's already "headache" enough. Now people "boil" it with a complicated and academic calculation so that it seems like the number 8.36 is equal to 8.36 x 4. It's very possible that it was built by learned people, so who dares to argue. People can only console themselves with the familiar way: "Paying more electricity is ultimately a contribution to state-owned enterprises, and contributing to state-owned enterprises is also a way of patriotism".

The increase in electricity prices will help to alleviate a burden on the electricity industry, and the people have the responsibility to shoulder that burden on their own. If it belongs to the State, it belongs to the people, by the people, and for the people! The people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people inspect, and now the people… pay the debt. It is very public and there is no need to put any secret stamp on this elementary argument. The people are afraid that after this loss-making operation, the EVN guys will be excited to “invest with their left hand” and continue to attack outside the industry, play the stock market, speculate in real estate, golf courses, playgrounds… and suffer continuous losses, and be in debt again. It is really shocking, not anaphylactic shock. I think the people do not have much money, but they do not regret spending money if they are sincere in reviving a business that, after all, whether small or large, whether indirect or direct, has a part in it. The problem is that people need transparency and a commitment to self-respect, please don't say that both of these are lacking!

During the week, the price of electricity was shocking, but the price of gasoline was no less. It must be said that the price of gasoline has slid straight down the vertical graph without encountering any obstacles. There are no "ladder" price steps, it just "goes up as scheduled" and when it goes up, it has to be at its peak! It must be said that electricity and gasoline are a "pair of strikers" causing a stir in a match where many predict that the inflation "team" will be forced to "score the ball into their own net". The saying "at this price of gasoline, even lighters don't dare to be used" by a motorbike taxi driver that the author of this article accidentally heard is very close to reality! It must also be said that the price of gasoline has not stopped yet. The "craze" of gasoline prices is pouring its endless fury onto each lighter. In the past few days, the press has published an article about a 70-year-old retired teacher who built his own electric car to take his grandson to school as a benign reaction to the madness of gasoline prices. In addition to praising the grandfather-grandson relationship and the ageless creativity of the old teacher, people also expressed concern about his somewhat risky choice of engine for the car! The terrible price increase of gasoline is understandable, but if he "escapes" to electricity, will the old teacher's pension be enough to cope with the "step-up" price list? Or will he "avoid the melon rind and meet the coconut shell"? If nothing changes, the basic salary will increase on July 1. It is still a familiar chase between salary and price, in which the winning side has never been inclined towards salary. This is familiar, not shocking anymore.

As the author was preparing to finish this article, he received information: Bui Chu Church - one of the oldest and most beautiful religious buildings with 134 years old will be demolished on May 13 to build a new one. Netizens expressed regret about a building that, as before, Mr. Martin Rama, senior advisor at the World Bank and Project Director at the Center for Sustainable Urban Development under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, also wrote an article stating that a large number of beautiful churches and cathedrals are scattered across the country, including a group of beautiful churches located in Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces. "These buildings and their interior decorations are truly architectural gems thanks to the combination of Beaux Arts architecture with traditional Vietnamese aesthetics. The destruction of these architectural works is a loss to humanity".

We have had some “world champion” religious buildings renovated in recent years. Of course, building a new building is much easier than preserving and promoting the value of a heritage. It is a pity that people have chosen the easier option. The reason is simple, because the building is not on the list of managed relics, and the reason it is not on the list of relics is because the user has not proposed it for a long time. The day of “demolition” is near, all efforts to rescue it seem to be too late. Losing such a beautiful and valuable building is truly regrettable, but the reason for its loss is also shocking.