Impact of the pandemic: Reduced prices on electricity and telecommunications to support the people.

1Electricity discount, 4th phase electricity bill reduction

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is complexly developing in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and many provinces and cities across the country, affecting many people’s lives. Many localities have implemented Directive 16/CT-TTg dated December 31, 2020 by the Prime Minister.

To join hands with the whole country to support a part of the difficulties for people in localities implementing social distancing under the Government’s direction, the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Trade has worked with the leadership of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and on July 30, 2021, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien signed Letter No. 453/BC-BCT proposing to the Prime Minister to allow the implementation of support for electricity bill reduction in the 4th phase.

On July 31, 2021, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade regarding the 4th phase electricity bill reduction for customers affected by COVID-19 in localities implementing social distancing under Directive 16/CT-TTg. Specifically as follows:

Residential electricity users

a) Support objects for electricity bill reduction: Customers using electricity for living purposes in provinces, centrally-run cities, districts, towns, cities directly under the province, centrally-run cities implementing social distancing as of July 30, 2021 under Directive 16/CT-TTg.

b) Electricity bill reduction support level:

• 15% reduction in electricity bill (before VAT) on electricity bills for customers using up to 200 kWh/month.
• 10% reduction in electricity bill (before VAT) on electricity bills for customers using above 200 kWh/month.

c) Time of electricity bill reduction support for customers is two (02) months in the electricity bill periods of August and September 2021.

d) List of localities with reduced electricity bills at point a clause 1 provided by the People’s Committees of provinces, centrally-run cities to electricity distribution units.

Isolation facilities for COVID-19 infected or suspected individuals that charge a part of the expenses from isolated individuals

To support facilities on the frontline of COVID prevention due to the increase in the number of patients, medical isolation facilities that do not charge fees according to the guidance in Letter No. 3163/BCT-DTDL dated June 3, 2021 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in addition to the medical isolation facilities for individuals infected or suspected to be infected with COVID-19 that charge a part of the expenses from individuals being isolated will have 100% electricity bill reduction. Specifically:

a) Objects: Medical isolation facilities serving COVID prevention during the time when individuals are undergoing medical isolation, meeting the following conditions:

– Military camps, military schools, other facilities currently chosen by authorized state agencies as facilities for medical isolation that do not charge fees or charge some expenses from individuals undergoing isolation as prescribed in point b clause 3, point b clause 4, point b clause 5 Article 1 of Resolution No. 16/NQ-CP dated February 8, 2021 by the Government.

– Buying electricity directly from the Vietnam Electricity Group/other retail electricity companies.

b) Support level: 100% electricity bill reduction for the mentioned facilities at point a clause 2.

c) Time of electricity bill reduction support: seven (07) months from the electricity bill period of June 2021 to the electricity bill period of December 2021.

d) List of facilities serving COVID prevention with reduced electricity bills at point a clause 2 provided by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Public Security and the People’s Committees of provinces, centrally-run cities to electricity distribution units.

2Telecommunications support package of 10,000 billion VND

On August 2, 2021, the leaders of the Ministry of Information and Communications and telecommunications companies such as , , , CMC, , , agreed and announced a support package for telecommunications services of nearly 10,000 billion VND. This support package will be implemented from August 5 and last for 3 months. Specifically, the forms of support include:

– For customers nationwide

• Continuing to double the bandwidth for fiber optic internet services at unchanged prices to maximize the demand for online learning and working from home.
• Free access to high-speed websites of the Ministry of Health, .
• Additional 50% data volume for all current or new subscription packages at unchanged prices; up to 50% discount for VX3, VX7 data packages, specifically VX3 package (6GB/3 days) reduced from 20,000 VND to 10,000 VND, VX7 package (10GB/7 days) reduced from 35,000 VND to 20,000 VND.

Companies such as Viettel, VNPT, FPT will also contribute from the deduction of 5,000 VND for each successful registration/renewal of VX3/VX7 package.

– For customers in localities implementing social distancing under Directive 16/CT-TTg: Grant 50 minutes of on-network calls.

Telecommunications companies such as Viettel, VNPT, FPT, CMC will join hands with the Ministry of Information and Communications to launch 17 new platforms to support people in COVID prevention and control with an estimated value of nearly 2,000 billion VND.

The above article provides information about the support packages for people during the COVID-19 season. Hopefully, the whole country will overcome the pandemic together.