This Friday the public hearing was held to advance with the electricity increases. The Ministry of Energy hopes that users will go from paying 45% of the cost of electricity generation to 100%, although they did not provide details on the deadlines for this to happen. Another gift for the privatized companies that offer poor quality service and a blow to the pockets of working people.
The distributors of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), Edenor and Edesur indicated that bills would cost on average $7,600 per month. Starting in April, a new subsidy scheme will come into effect that will cut the universe of beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the Electricity distributors asked that the rate be adjusted monthly and automatically, a benefit that salaries, pensions or social programs do not have, which they lose month after month with high inflation. A monthly increase will also imply a sharp rise in invoices during the year due to the escalation of prices in the event that the privatized companies are granted a monthly adjustment.
Guido Hernández, Deputy Planning Manager at Edenor, explained that Level 1 users (higher incomes) who currently pay a rate of $7,018, will pay $10,299. Level 2 users (lower income) who pay $2,570 will pay $6,341. Meanwhile, for Level 3 users (average income) the bill would amount to $7,214 when it is now $3,161, on average.
The reduction of subsidies is a measure that the IMF has demanded for a long time and the Milei government complies. The Frente de Todos government also advanced in segmentation to reduce subsidies to comply with the Fund.
Public services have to stop being a business because they are an essential right of working people. Enough of the privatized business. The electricity and gas services they should be nationalized in all its stages (production, transportation and distribution) under the management of workers and with control of popular users to provide a quality service, without interruptions.
The left proposes the nationalization of public services under the control of workers and specialists interested in truly developing plans to satisfy the interests of popular needs.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
