SEB’s avoidable expenses cost Sarawakians – Chong

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Chong Chieng Jen

KUCHING: Sarawakians could enjoy lower electricity price by at least 30 per cent if Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) could improve its policy by reducing unnecessary wastage and giving big discounts to mega companies.

Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen yesterday said SEB had put their priority wrong by engaging aggressively in metre checking and replacing operations, and charging their clients with exorbitant bill in the event of metre-tempering cases.

He said SEB had claimed that about RM100 million went uncollected due to power theft.

Chong, the State DAP secretary, said he was certain that the power theft could be decreased by 50 per cent if the tariff was lower and hence could reduce SEB’s loss.

“We are not encouraging power theft. But SEB has wasted at least RM1.3 billion in a few deals, which is ten times more than the alleged RM100 million uncollected bill. For instance, the Murum Dam where the initial cost had surged from RM3.7 billion to RM4.25 billion,” he told a press conference here.

He claimed that SEB intended to give a proposed 500-kilowatt transmission line project to a local company believed to have political link, although the tender price of this company was RM150 million higher than the lowest bid.

“Apart from that, according to the agreement with Press Metal Bhd, SEB will supply the 600 megawatt of electricity at the price of 10.5 sen per kilowatt per hour. If compared with other local manufacturers or factories, this would translate to a discount of RM671 million a year to this one particular company.

“If SEB wants to increase their profit, they should look into these few projects instead of prosecuting members of the public.”