PRA program update

[NewsWhore]

During the first seven months of the year the government spent US$49 million, or RD$1.7 billion, on the Blackout Reduction Program (PRA), a program that stipulates fixed low charges for electricity in low-income areas. Through the program, 482,000 families have signed up to receive subsidized electricity. According to state electricity corporation officials, 96,000 houses that are billed at the fixed rate do not qualify for the subsidy. The director of the PRA, Antonio Herrera, says that the eliminating of these 96,000 households will bring savings of RD$48 million. He explained that the fixed charge should only benefit the poorest families and that the program is being restructured with this in mind. A report in Hoy says that households consuming less than 700 kWh a month qualify for reduced variable rates. At present, households consuming more than 700 kWh need to pay more than double than those consuming less.

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