KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is urged to increase the monthly electricity bill usage rate from RM203 to RM300 and above, as it will be subject to an 8% service tax (SST) starting tomorrow.
In making the call, Sabah UMNO election director Jeffery Nor Mohamed said that the situation in Sabah is very different from the peninsula, as the electricity supply is still not satisfactory.
He said that many electricity consumers in Sabah are still in the B40 group, using one metre to accommodate several families in the same household.
“This is one of the main reasons why the electricity consumption rate is increasing, as many of them are from the B40 group. I am afraid that if the rate is not increased, other problems will arise, such as an increase in unpaid bills, leading to multiple electricity metre disconnections,” he said in a statement today.
Jeffery Nor, who is also the Putatan UMNO chief, said that this will result in the SST burden rate of 8% being borne by SESB itself.
“We understand that this tax rate has been set by the government, so we need to comply with it for certain reasons. However, as the electricity provider in Sabah, suggestions like this should be taken into consideration.
“In addition, there is no harm in granting eligibility for any affected local consumers who have not yet connected their metres to use the prepaid system,” explained Jeffrey.
He further stated that although the Prepaid System is only used in selected settlements, its rate needs to be reviewed by the Sabah Energy Commission (ECOS).
“This step is one of the ways for us to address the impact of tax increases on the people who truly need assistance,” said Jeffery.
