The Cabinet approved two measures to help mitigate the energy crisis, covering diesel and electricity, targeting primarily lower-income earners.
The Cabinet in a weekly meeting approved a set of mitigating measures for the energy crisis, including special electricity rates and an extension of the special excise tax rate for diesel. Proposed by the Ministry of Energy, a special electricity rate scheme will be offered to households based on their electricity consumption. Households consuming up to 300 electricity units per month will be eligible for a 0.92 baht per unit discount.
Households with higher electricity consumption of up to 500 units per month will receive discounts for the Ft tariff based on their consumption rate, namely a 75% or 0.515 baht per unit discount for households consuming 301-350 units per month, a 45% or 0.309 baht discount for households consuming 351-400 units per month, and a 15% or 0.103 baht per unit discount for households consuming 401-500 units per month.
These reduced electricity rates will be provided for 4 months from September to December this year. Some 9.13 billion baht of government funding is expected to be used to help around 21.46 million people.
Other campaigns approved by the Cabinet include the 2-month extension for the current 5 baht diesel oil excise tax, now valid until 20 November, and a 6-month excise tax waiver for B0 diesel for electricity generation, valid until 15 March 2023.
These campaigns are expected to help mitigate the impacts faced by the general public and businesses amidst the energy crisis. The excise tax schemes alone are expected to cost the Excise Department a 20 billion baht revenue loss. (NNT)
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