Kulhudhuffushi shops closed due to high electric bills

Kulhuduffshi merchants have closed their shops and protested on the streets with the cancellation of merchant subsidies.

A merchant from H.Dh. Kulhudhuffushi said that with the subsidies cancelled, the usual MVR 2,500 electric bill is MVR 7,500 this month. And unhappy with it, all the shops have been closed.

The Vice President of the Kulhudhuffushi Council, Mohamed Aiman said that the local shops have been closed and the protests have begun in front of the Island Council. He said that more that 200 of the island shops have been closed due to the subsidy issue.

While the government has stopped giving electrical subsidies to merchants, MVR 7.50 is being charged per unit where the rate is MVR 4 in the capital Male’.

Last month’s gazette announcement from NSPA said that no subsidy for electricity would be given starting on 1 March and the merchants currently using domestic meters are ordered to change to a business electric meter.