House panel to fast track EPIRA amendment

The House committee on energy on Tuesday vowed to fast track the approval of a measure seeking to amend Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), which President Benigno Aquino III earlier identified as a priority bill. Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad, chairperson of the House panel, said the proposal to extend the implementation of subsidized rates for low-income electricity consumers is crucial to lessen the impact of electricity rate increases to the poor. "This socialized pricing mechanism... exempts marginalized end-users from the cross-subsidy removal provided under Section 73 of the EPIRA for a period of 10 years, unless extended by law," Abad said in a statement Tuesday.

Section 73 of RA 9136 provides for the implementation of a socialized pricing mechanism called the "lifeline rate" for 10 years to give low-income power consumers discounted rates subsidized by higher-income electricity users. The provision expires next month, since the EPIRA law seeking to lower power rates in the country took effect in June 2001. This means that poor power consumers will have to pay higher costs of electricity since the subsidy will end taking effect. A consolidated version of three bills seeking to extend the implementation of Section 73 is set to be discussed in the House panel on Tuesday morning. Abad said the passage of the bill will spare poor power consumers from higher power rates, especially in the face of rising oil prices. "It would be great if the President could certify this as an urgent bill," she said. Aquino included the bill amending the EPIRA in his 23 priority measures which he presented in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council last February. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News