The Ministry of Energy and Industry of Kyrgyzstan abandoned the idea of increasing tariffs for the population. This is the recommendation given by the President of the country: the situation in the energy sector is still difficult, but the financial situation of people should also be taken into account.
The low-water period continues to complicate the situation with filling of Toktogul water reservoir. To date, the volume of water in it amounts to 11,630.16 billion cubic meters. This is 2.2 billion cubic meters less than last year.
To cover the shortage of electricity, the Ministry of Energy is acting in several directions. For example, Kyrgyzstan has agreed to import electricity from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
At least 900 million kilowatt-hours of electricity are imported from Kazakhstan and 750 million kilowatt-hours – from Uzbekistan on the terms of commodity exchange.
In addition, it was decided to increase the generation of electricity at the Bishkek Heating and Power Plant. The facility currently generates 160-180 megawatts of electricity per hour, although only 50-60 megawatts per hour were previously used in summer.
Another important point that will help to overcome the crisis is implementation of an economically sound tariff policy, which will cover the additional costs of energy companies and will help achieve, in the medium term, coverage of the cost of electricity by tariffs.
Problems arose exactly with electricity tariffs. Back in spring, the Ministry of Energy developed a draft of a new medium-term tariff policy for electricity for 2021-2025. At first, it was proposed to establish a tariff of 1.49 soms per 1 kilowatt-hour. But the population totally opposed this idea. The tariffs had to be revised, and a new proposal was made in mid-June.
The draft provided for an increase in electricity tariffs for the population in 2021 from 77 tyiyns to 1.95 tyiyns per 1 kilowatt-hour.
But even such a figure did not suit either population or the authorities. During the public discussion, numerous oral and written appeals were received from the population, members of the Parliament and other organizations with a request to keep electricity tariffs for household consumers at the current level in 2021.
President Sadyr Japarov also recommended maintaining the current electricity tariffs for the population in 2021.
Therefore, the power specialists have revised the medium-term tariff policy again and have proposed its final version. Most likely, it will eventually be adopted and will begin to operate from September 1.
Thus, the tariffs for the population will remain the same. But the limit on electricity consumption of 700 kilowatt-hours will also remain. Limits, at the request of the head of state, were lifted for residents of highland areas only.
The electricity tariffs will change for the rest of electricity consumers.
The tariffs will not be the same all the time. It was decided that from 2022 tariffs for electricity for the end consumers would be adjusted to the level of actual inflation in the previous year. (24.kg/Business World Magazine)
