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Govt allocates RM114 mil to cushion electricity surcharge for domestic users, says Yeo

PUTRAJAYA: Energy, Green Technology, Science and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin today said domestic users will not feel the impact of the increase in electricity tariff this year.

This, she said was because the government has allocated RM114 million, from Kumpulan Wang Industri Elektrik (KWIE), to cushion the surcharge on domestic users up till December.

She said the allocation would ensure domestic users would not have to pay any increase in electricity tariff, which would be reviewed every six months.

“I will comment more about this tariff issue in Parliament next week.

"But for now, the government has allocated RM114 million to subsidise 81.7 per cent of domestic users to make sure that they will not be affected by the surcharge,” she said, denying claims that higher electricity tariff will lead to increase in prices of goods and services.

On July 2, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli had urged the government to reconsider its decision to increase the electricity tariff for the commercial sectors.

He said this was to avoid traders from using the increased tariffs as an excuse to not lower their prices despite the zero-rating of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Rafizi said the increase in tariffs would directly affect both domestic and non-domestic users.

Yeo further said that the commercial sector would be affected by the surcharge but at a minimal level.

"The 1.1 million low-voltage commercial consumers such as restaurants and retail outlets will only experience a 70 sen increase in their electricity bill."

She was met at a press conference after attending the Ministry's townhall session on "Renewable Energy Industry" with relevant stakeholders, here, today.


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