No electricity tariff hike for Sarawak - Abang Johari

KUCHING - The Sarawak government has no plans to increase the electricity tariffs due to the state's ability to generate power through hydroelectric dams, said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said that any tariff increase would jeopardise the state's investment activities.

"Sarawak has an advantage in terms of electric power, as the tariffs are not high, following the old rates. If the electricity cost is high, investors will not come, and contractors will also face difficulties in paying high electricity bills," he said during a dinner held in conjunction with the 24th annual general meeting of the Sarawak branch of the Malay Contractors Association here last night.

Abang Johari said increasing the number of hydroelectric dam projects, such as the Trusan Dam in Lawas and the Baleh Dam in Kapit, would increase the state's power-generating sources.

Last night, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik announced that domestic users in Peninsular Malaysia with a monthly electrical consumption of 1,500 kWj and below would not experience an electricity tariff increase between July 1 and Dec 31, 2023.

He said this initiative under the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) mechanism would benefit 99 per cent of domestic users in the peninsula.

In February, Abang Johari announced that the state government had agreed to extend the electricity bill discount under the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) package to the first half of this year. - BERNAMA