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Meralco offers to help business sector
bring down cost of power
The Philippine Star, 15 October 2003
By: Donnabelle L. Gatdula
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has expressed willingness in helping the business community find ways to bring down the cost of power in the country. "Meralco's recently unbundled rates have made it easier to analyze cost of power. We are ready to cooperate with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)," Meralco president Jesus Francisco said. Francisco said the power company has been looking for ways to cooperate with the business sector. "We can work with individual companies but that would take time," he said.
Instead, the Meralco official said they would try to zero in on the individual problem of each industry or company. "Better to identify types of companies or industries and Meralco could provide cost analysis. That way confidentiality can be assured," he said. Over the weekend, the PCCI urged the government to look for more ways to lower the lost of electricity in the country. The PCCI said the efforts of the Arroyo administration through the Department of Energy (DOE) to bring down electricity costs are still not enough to lessen the burden of businessmen.
With this, the PCCI will discuss several issues on electricity pricing during its 29th Philippine Business Conference and Exhibition (PBCE) on Nov. 25 to 29. PBCE chairman Samie Lim said energy-related issues, specifically the high electricity prices in the country, will be one of the major items to be discussed in the upcoming conference. "The Philippines has one of the highest energy costs which do not make us globally competitive. At the end of the day, it's how much we are paying for per kilowatthour. Let's look at the figures in other countries. Our energy cost has not reached the level that will make businesses more competitive," Lim said. As of July this year, the Philippines ranked seventh among Asean countries in terms of average electricity rates for residential consumers while it ranked sixth for commercial and industrial rates
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