Minister trying to stop electricity price hikes
DEPUTY Prime Minister and Economy and Energy Minister Erhan Arıklı is doing “everything I can” to prevent increases in electricity prices this month.
The minister made the comments on his return from Turkey for meetings with the country’s Vice President Fuat Oktay, Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez and Trade Minister Mehmet Muş.
Noting that he discussed the “economic integration” of the TRNC and Turkey with Mr Muş, Dr Arıklı said that a “Joint Council” of the two countries will convene in Lefkoşa on June 3, when a Coastal Trade Agreement signed “years ago” will be updated and other “important decisions” will be taken.
He said that he signed “important protocols” with Mr Dönmez in Ankara on the “petroleum products trade” and “mobile power plant facilities”.
“There are two 50 megawatt gas generators coming,” he said. “We will start production with [natural] gas soon. We are trying everything to not have to raise electricity prices.
“With the unnecessary purchase of expensive goods, the [Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority KıbTek]
has literally been robbed for years.
“They sold goods to [KıbTek] worth three kuruş [per unit] for 20 kuruş through ‘address delivery tenders’. The people ended up paying the price through higher bills.
“We said ‘stop’ to this profiteering. For example, we are trying to reduce the fuel oil transportation tender from $38.80 [per tonne] to below $28 [per tonne] and an electronic meter tender from 128 euros [per meter] to below 65-70 euros. If we can achieve these savings, there will be no need to raise the price of electricity.”
Mr Dönmez said during the signing of the energy cooperation protocols in Ankara that Turkey stands by the TRNC in terms of energy and natural resources and values the energy supply security of the TRNC as much as it does for Turkey, according to Turkish media reports.
He said that the deal would “allow for a reduction in high electricity costs in the TRNC”.
“The TRNC needs to be a country that can avail of cheap and clean energy under the best circumstances,” he said.
On February 20 Turkey ratified an energy cooperation agreement between Turkey and the TRNC, which was signed on October 11, 2016 in Istanbul, according to the Anadolu news agency.
The agreement covers the construction of an “interconnected power line between Turkey and TRNC” as well as the “renewal of electricity infrastructure, development of electricity supply security, cooperation on renewable energy, the application of electricity regulations as well as exploration of new oil and natural gas resources,” Anadolu reported.