SHAH ALAM, August 20: The people will continue to be burdened by the rising prices of goods and services if Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and the government continue with their intention for the adjustment of new electricity tariffs.
Member of Parliament for Kelana Jaya, Wong Chen, said that although the President and the CEO of TNB, Datuk Seri Ir Azman Mohd said that domestic consumers with a monthly consumption below 100 kilowatt per hour (kwh) will not be affected by the tariff adjustment.
But it will have an impact when the industrial and manufacturing sector incur an increase in production costs and thus have to increase their prices of goods and services.
“Next, the consumers will have to pay higher prices when the electricity tariff increases despite TNB saying that it will not burden the consumer’s bills that are below 200kwh, which is below RM70,” said Wong Chen when contacted by TVSelangor.
He added that continuous increase in the electricity tariff is another failure of the privatisation of TNB which should have improved the management of TNB thus providing benefits to the people to enjoy reasonable tariff rates.
He explained that the increase also happens when there is a one-sided agreement with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) which eventually burdens consumers when they have to pay the increased electricity tariff.
He also urged for the government to take into account the views of all parties before making any decision to raise electricity tariffs in the country.
For the record, the government pays nearly RM19 billion a year in subsidies to IPPs that sell it to TNB to meet the energy needs of the entire country.
