Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath is assuring that only a small percentage of households will be affected by Government’s proposed electricity surcharge, adding that the measure will apply only to residential customers with exceptionally high electricity consumption.
Questions were raised during Day Two of the Standing Finance Committee over Government’s proposal to introduce a five-cent surcharge on residential electricity consumption exceeding 3,000 kilowatt-hours per billing period, with Opposition members seeking clarity on the potential impact on consumers.
Responding to concerns about higher electricity costs, Minister Padarath insisted that the surcharge would affect only a small segment of residential customers.
“What the Member for Fyzabad has sought to do is that the less than 10% that has 3,000 and more kilowatt consumption, that surcharge will apply to them, not the 90% of the population who consumes less than 3,000 kilowatts.”
The Minister also criticised the Opposition over questions about how the Government intends to assist the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), which owes billions of dollars to the National Gas Company (NGC).
“What I can assure the people of Trinidad and Tobago is that we are committed to dealing with this challenge of nine going on ten billion dollars left in legacy debts by the former People’s National Movement administration. This nine to ten billion dollars was accumulated under my colleagues, and no amount of posturing will change that fact that they created this situation between NGC and T&TEC, that we are now being forced to clean up.”
The Public Utilities Minister also revealed that the Government is reviewing the Electricity Bill Rebate Programme, which provides a 35% rebate to residential customers whose monthly bills are $300 or less.
He said concerns have emerged over the programme’s value for money, with approximately $60 million budgeted for the initiative, despite only a small number of beneficiaries being recorded during the last fiscal year.