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Monday, October 11, 2004
Editorial: Woe to the poor
THERE seems to be no end to the sufferings of the public, particularly the poor.
Reports said four million customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) stand to pay more starting this month after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) removed a 40 percent-subsidy for small power users and on government hospitals. On the other hand, industrial consumers will be paying less.
Now, if this is not considered an unfair arrangement then we don't know what is.
Meralco customers who consume more than 100 kilowatts of electricity monthly will pay an additional 28.52 centavos per kilowatt-hour. Industrial power users, on the other hand, will pay between 25.22 centavos to 27.83 centavos less per kilowatt-hour.
A nearly 30-centavo per kilowatt-hour increase in power rates will be a big dent on the finances of many power consumers, who are already reeling from the high prices of basic commodities and oil and increased transport fares.
We dread the effect of the move on government hospitals especially since subsidy for their electrical expenses has been removed. Will it mean higher hospital fees? We hope not.
Considering that such a move will affect a big number of people, it is the responsibility of the ERC to explain thoroughly why the agency had to remove the subsidy and not leave a surprised public in the dark.
(October 11, 2004 issue)
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