Padarath said a proposed 5% electricity surcharge would affect fewer than 10% of users. The Opposition sought clarity.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has said a proposed 5% surcharge on residential electricity consumption above 3,000 kilowatt hours per billing period would affect only a small segment of customers. He spoke during questioning on day two of the Standing Finance Committee.
Opposition members, including the member for Fyzabad, asked about the impact on consumers, raising concerns that households would face higher electricity costs. Padarath said the surcharge would apply to the less than 10% of customers who consume 3,000 kilowatt hours or more, and not to the 90% of the population who consume less.
Opposition members also asked 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). Padarath said the government is committed to dealing with what he described as $9 billion to $10 billion in legacy debts left by the former People’s National Movement administration. He said the debt was accumulated under the Opposition members’ watch and that “no amount of posturing” would change that.
Padarath also said the government is reviewing the electricity bill rebate program, which gives a 35% rebate to residential customers whose monthly bills are $300 or less. He said concerns have emerged about its value for money, with about $60 million budgeted for the initiative while only a small number of beneficiaries were recorded in the last fiscal year.