Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) President Mustafa Yilmaz announced that electricity distribution companies can no longer collect donations, sponsorship, advertising and promotion expenses, penalties, representation and hospitality expenses, advertisement, and association dues from the tariff.
Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) President Mustafa Yilmaz stated in a written statement that the institution has completed the 2021-2025 tariff period. Noting that the costs in the previous (2016-2020) tariff period and the factors that will affect the service to citizens were reviewed, Yilmaz said that a roadmap has been determined to increase the quality of the network and to eliminate interruptions completely, to reach the targets in the fight against loss and leakage, to increase maintenance and repair activities, to increase employment with correct and effective investments.
Yilmaz pointed out that the priority in the new period is to provide quality service to consumers and added, “Distribution companies will earn income to the extent that they provide quality service. Those who upset the customer and do not provide quality service will lose income.”
Yilmaz stated that the issue of representation hospitality expenses related to the communiqué on distribution revenues, which came to the agenda last week, was misrepresented to the public and was made into political material. And he continued as follows:
“It is necessary to tell the truth once again. EMRA did not make a raise or a price increase with this communiquê. Representation hospitality expenses and other items included in the communiqué are the expenses included in the financial legislation and also included in the tariff accounts in the communiqués published in 2011 and 2016 and since the beginning of the distribution services, even before privatization. In other words, there was no question of adding a new item to the tariffs and we, as EMRA, imposed restrictions and limits on these items. We are upset that even those who know the truth made the issue a political material and made statements that can damage the trust of our citizens in EMRA and the energy sector. It is out of the question for us to take a step that can harm the rights of our customers. We need to maintain trust in our industry and not give an opportunity to those who try to confuse our citizens with polemics. With the decision of our board meeting today to prevent further exploitation of this issue, we are removing the provision in the communiqué that will cause false perceptions such as representation hospitality expenses, advertising, sponsorship, donation. Companies will not be able to get such expenses from the tariff and will not be able to generate income from it.
Thus, after the decision taken, the electricity distribution tariff will no longer include donations, sponsorship, advertising and promotion expenses, penalties, representation and hospitality expenses, advertisement, and association dues.”
Source: Hurriyet / Translated by Bazaar Times Team