Abolish the RES fee on electricity bills

 

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas

3 February 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The next electricity bills will go up again. This will happen given that the government refuses to implement the legislation passed by Parliament to extend the 10% VAT reduction period. In addition, the reduction in bills that had been achieved by the Cyprus Electricity Authority (AHK) itself absorbing the increases.

The government cannot sit idly by while a new wave of increases is imminent, while thousands of households are freezing and at the same time being hit by the high prices of essential goods. AKEL calls on the government right now to abolish the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) fee and the public utility service fee paid by all consumers every two months. AKEL’s proposal provides immediate relief to all consumers and can be done by making use of the revenues from the polluting rights granted by the EU to the state. Besides, the legislation stipulates that the government should be allocating 50% of these revenues to environmental policies and to tackle the energy poverty affecting the Cypriot people.

AKEL has reiterated its demand for the abolition of the RES fee, together with a whole package of proposals, to the President and the competent Minister. They need to recognise the problem and do what they should have done long ago.