POWER TARIFF LOWEST IN SABAH
KOTA KINABALU:
Over the last 20 years, the electricity tariff in Sabah has never changed and it is the lowest tariff in the country.
Commenting on the statement by Likas Assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan yesterday urging Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) not to consider raising tariff but to step up efforts to overcome electricity thefts, SESB Corporate Communication Senior Manager, Cenderamata Sinteh, said that over the past 22 years the electricity tariff in the State has remained unchanged.
“The last revision done on the tariff matter was in 1986,” she revealed.
Cenderamata said the SESB graph shows that the tariff in Sabah is only 25 sen/ kWh, while that in Sarawak set by SESCO (Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation) is 29 sen/kWh while the Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) tariff is 32.5 sen/kWh, she pointed out.
She said the cost of electricity supply is 48 sen/ kWh without subsidy and 35 sen/kWh with fuel subsidy. Cendramata said the SESB financial position could be in a worrying state because it has to manage a high cost of electricity supply and this may affect the program to standardize the system in the State.
On the concern over deposit paid by consumers, she said SESB has to implement a policy
that has been required in its liscense according to the Electricity Supply Act (1990), which among other things stipulated that a consumer is required to pay a two-month deposit based on the consumption.
The deposit is significant as a security if the consumer has an outstanding bill or when a consumer decides to terminate electricity supply to certain premises, said Cenderamata.
She added that the matter would be analyzed every six months and if the consumer’s electricity usage is lower, the deposit would be revised and vice versa.
“Consumers could control the additional deposit by controlling the usage of the electricity at their premises,” he said. “In fact, SESB pay’s interest on the consumer’s deposits, and for this year, SESB has paid RM6.7 million in the form of rebates.
“I would also like to inform the public or consumers that SESB is always carrying out operations to curb power supply or electricity thefts together with other relevant agencies and we would like to say thousand thanks to those who have cooperated with us all this while.
