Electricity charges increase in Ye: Resident face yet more livelihood challenges

August 23, 2024

HURFOM: The Ye Electricity Providing Committee recently announced that beginning in September, 2024, electricity bills will be calculated at the rate of 2,200 MMK per 1kWh.

However, local residents received bills calculated at the new rate in August, 2024. Residents told HURFOM that the increase is making life much more difficult.

The Southern Myanmar Development Company distributes electricity in Northern Ye Township, and the company previously charged 2,000 MMK per 1kWh. That rate will also increase to 2,200MMK/1KWh next month. In addition, each household must also pay an additional 10,000 MMK per month for street lights.

In Southern Ye Township, the Myat Thura Company increased their electricity charges from 2,000 MMK to 2,100 MMK per 1kWh.

The Ye Electricity Providing Committee said that scarcity and the high price of gasoline has forced them to increase the bill.

“Even the price of vegetables is increasing so it isn’t a surprise that the electricity bill has been increased. But everything is expensive and the people have a tougher life. We could bear the increased bills before but now it’s difficult to handle. Every commodity is expensive and people are getting tougher and tougher,” said a housewife from Northern Ye Township.

Increases in electricity bills have the impact of raising other prices.

“The electricity bill is increased so we have to increase the price of our ice pop. We sold an ice pop with 800 MMK before but now, we have to increase it to 1,000 MMK. We’re operating a medium-sized business so we can make a small profit in this situation but nothing left for the small-sized business,” said a home-made ice pop distributor.

Ye Township is the only township that does not receive electricity provided by the State. Local residents have to purchase electricity from private companies who have been increasing the price of their services.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News