The State, Government, and Electricity have implemented policies to support electricity and electricity price reduction for business customers and households in the face of difficulties caused by the Covid-19 epidemic. Reporter (Reporter) Long An Newspaper had an interview with Deputy Director of Long An Power Company - Le Hoang Oanh about the implementation of supporting policies in the area.

 Reporter: Sir, according to the regulations, who is exempted or reduced electricity bill in the context of Covid-19 epidemic today?

Mr. Le Hoang Oanh: Implementing Resolution No. 41 / NQ-CP, dated April 9, 2020 of the Government on the regular Government meeting in March 2020 and Official Letter No. 2698 / BCT-DTĐL, April 16 / 2020 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on supporting electricity price reduction, electricity bill for electricity users affected by Covid-19 epidemic; Right on April 16, 2020, Electricity of Vietnam implemented electricity price for customers using electricity affected by Covid-19 epidemic.

Subjects entitled to electricity discount are customers producing, trading in services affected by Covid-19, living customers, tourist accommodation guests, and electricity wholesalers. are facilities serving the prevention and control of Covid-19. Specifically:

Regarding the electricity price reduction:

- Customers producing and trading services: Discount 10% of electricity retail price under the Decision No. 648 / QD-BCT dated March 20, 2019 of the Minister of Industry and Trade.

- Customers using electricity for daily life: 10% discount on the retail price of daily-life electricity from grades 1 to 4 specified in Decision No. 648 / QD-BCT.

- Customers who are tourist accommodation establishments (as defined in the 2017 Tourism Law and related legal documents): Discount electricity price from electricity retail price applicable to business activities to retail price. Electricity applied to manufacturing industries after a discount.

Besides, the electricity price reduction also applies to electricity wholesale customers:

- For rural electricity wholesale prices; electricity wholesale prices of dormitories and residential quarters; electricity wholesale price for a commercial - service - daily life complex: Discount 10% of electricity wholesale price for grades 1 to 4 of the cost of living; reducing 10% of electricity wholesale for other purposes in Decision No. 648 / QD-BCT.

- For the wholesale price of electricity to industrial parks, the wholesale price of electricity to markets: A 10% reduction of the electricity wholesale price compared to the electricity wholesale price table in Decision No. 648 / QD-BCT.

Regarding the reduction of electricity bills:

- Reducing electricity charges (pre-tax value) directly to the facilities serving the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic and purchasing electricity from units under EVN, specifically as follows:

- Reducing 100% of electricity bill for facilities (not hotels) used for isolation, concentrated medical examination of patients infected with Covid-19.

- Reduce 20% of electricity bill for health facilities used for examination, testing and treatment of patients infected with Covid-19.

- 20% discount on electricity for hotels used to isolate suspected, coinfected patients with Covid-19.

List of facilities serving the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic with reduced electricity bills issued by the National Steering Committee for Disease Prevention and Combat Covid-19, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities The central government provides the Electricity side with our implementation.

 Reporter: Could you tell me the time of application?

Mr. Le Hoang Oanh: Total amount of time customers are supported with electricity discounts and electricity bills is 3 months. The time of electricity price reduction and electricity price reduction is as follows:

- For customers using electricity for daily life, the electricity output used by customers has a cycle starting in April, May and June 2020 (determined according to the period recording the monthly index of the Electricity unit). The discount will be applied in the electricity bill periods in May, June and July 2020.

- For customers using electricity outside activities (production, business, administrative, non-business, ...): Perform from the latest invoice period from April 16, 2020.

 Reporter: From the above subjects, how many subjects can be reduced from Long An, please give specific details about each group of subjects, how to reduce, sir?

Mr. Le Hoang Oanh: According to Document 2698 / BCT-DTĐL, April 16, 2020 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as I mentioned above, in Long An province, there are subjects entitled to price reductions and electricity bills, including:

Subjects of electricity price reduction are 3 subjects:

- All customers using electricity for daily life: 10% discount on the retail price of daily-life electricity from grade 1 to level 4. The total number of customers currently living is 444,885.

- Non-living customers (production, business and service): Discount 10% of current electricity price. The total number of customers is 23,725.

- Customers who are tourist accommodation establishments: Reduce the electricity price from the electricity retail price applicable to business activities to the retail price applicable to manufacturing industries after the discount. The total number of current tourist staying customers is approximately 221.

Please note that the discount for travel accommodation establishments is applicable for customers who are certified "tourist accommodation establishments" in accordance with the 2017 Travel Law. Specifically, customers need to provide one of the following:

Documents of the Department of Tourism, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding the inspection results to the tourist accommodation establishment as prescribed in Article 29, Decree No. 168/2017 / ND-CP.

The decision on tourist accommodation establishment is issued by the competent authorities.

Subjects of electricity reduction: Currently, Long An has 2 subjects in this category and must be on the list of locations provided by the Provincial People's Committee:

Facilities (other than hotels) used to isolate and examine concentrated patients suspected of being infected with Covid-19: Reduce 100% of electricity bill for these facilities.

Covid-19 health facilities used to examine, test and treat suspected infected patients: Reduce 20% of electricity bill for these facilities (further explanation is that these facilities are only partially used). in the facility to serve examination, testing, treatment of patients suspected of being infected with Covid-19).

Long An deploys electricity and electricity price cuts

 Reporter: After implementation, how much is expected to be reduced in Long An?

Mr. Le Hoang Oanh: According to estimates of Long An Power Company, the amount of electricity reduced in the province is estimated at VND 260.58 billion.

In which: For domestic customers: Total electricity bill decreased by about VND 47 billion. For non-living customers (production and business services): Total electricity bill decreased by about VND 211 billion. For guests staying tourist: Estimated reduction of about 280 million. For facilities used for examination, testing and treatment of patients infected with Covid-19: It is estimated to reduce by VND 2.3 billion.

 Reporter: In order to create favorable conditions for the implementation of the current Covid-19 epidemic situation, what solutions will Long An Electricity branch implement in reducing electricity and electricity prices?

Mr. Le Hoang Oanh: Implementing the Prime Minister's Directive in Circular No. 16/2020 / TT-TTg and the direction of EVN and EVN SPC in the complicated situation of Covid-19 disease, limiting exposure to avoid spreading in the community. However, the continuous safe power supply is one of the essential tasks to serve customers in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Determining the importance, Long An Power Company ensures the task of receiving requests and resolving customer requests on the basis of ensuring the safety for customers as well as electricity employees.

Deploying strong solutions of online transactions, customers do not have to go to direct transactions at electricity offices but conduct transactions via online channels, specifically as follows:

Regarding receiving information, customer requirements:

Customer care hotline 19001006/19009000

Website: cskh.evnspc.vn

Email: cskh.evnspc.vn

National Public Service Portal: dichvucong.gov.vn

Electronic transactions: Customers register to buy electricity and sign power purchase and sale contracts through digital signatures (OTP code).

App cskh, app Zalo cskh

Regarding electricity bill payment:

Expanding many electricity payment channels, creating favorable conditions for customers to be able to pay anytime, anywhere, specifically:

Payment via bank: Payment at the bank transaction counters, automatic debt deduction, UNC, UNT.

Payment through stores of intermediary organizations: Ecpay, Viettel, Airpay, Post Office, Mobile Phone, Green Electronics, Department of Green, Vinmart, ...

Online payment via e-wallets and mobile apps of banks and TCTG: Viettel pay, MOMO, ZaloPay, PAYOO, ECPAY, Airpay, ...

Payment via website and cskh app.

The expansion of online trading channels from receiving customer requests to paying electricity bills has ensured stable power supply for customers but still ensures the social gap. ; strictly follow the Prime Minister's direction in the prevention and control of Covid-19 epidemic.