The Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center in Negros has expressed its opposition to the 0.0978 increase in power rate for missionary electrification to be implemented by Central Electric Cooperative and blamed the government for the burden being passed on to end user as a result of the passage of the Energy Power Reform Act of 2001, a KMU press release said.

“Amidst the rising cost of basic commodities, the 0.0978 centavos increase in every KWH of our consumed electricity is inhuman and inconsiderate in the upcoming Yuletide season. This is the poison gift brought by the passage of EPIRA Law,” Ronald Ian Evidente, KMU Negros spokesperson, said in the press release.

Evidente said that EPIRA and the privatization of the energy industry created missionary electrification charges proposed by Small Power Utilities Group and is being imposed to the end user to fund the electrification mission.

“Why not charge it to the corporation gaining profit from the power sector. EPIRA is anti poor and pro-foreign power monopoly because it passes charges to workers, urban poor, peasant and middle income professionals while capitalist siphon profit from the power sector,” Evidente said in the press release.

KMU called on the board of directors of different electric cooperatives representing the consumers to question the said charges and not just to simply implement the said increases to the end user consumer.

They must stand in favor of the consumers because they represent the consuming public as cooperative, Evidente said.*

back to top