Chamber votes on bill that expands discount on electricity bill.
The proposal would benefit up to 60 million Brazilians and needs to be approved by Congress by Wednesday to remain valid.
247 - The Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote this Tuesday (16) on the provisional measure (MP) that expands discounts on electricity bills, benefiting around 60 million Brazilians, reports the newspaper. The GlobeThe text is part of the electricity sector reform, but it has been streamlined to prioritize the social energy tariff, considered essential by the government.
According to the report by Congressman Fernando Coelho Filho (União-PE), points such as the opening of the energy market, production cuts, and structural changes in the sector were removed. "We removed some points that had been included precisely to facilitate the process," stated the congressman. The excluded topics should be addressed in another provisional measure, number 1304, which deals with the Energy Development Account (CDE).
Discounts for low-income families
The executive order published in May by the Lula (PT) government guarantees total exemption from electricity bills for low-income families with consumption of up to 80 kWh per month. For those with income between half and one minimum wage per person and consumption of up to 120 kWh, the text provides for a partial discount.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met on Monday (15) with the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), to reinforce the need for approval of the proposal. The deadline for voting in Congress is this Wednesday (17). After analysis by the deputies, the text will go to the Senate.
Other points included in the measure
In addition to the social tariff, the Provisional Measure also includes supplementary rules, among them:
- Inclusion of free consumers in the purchaser base for energy production from the Angra 1 and 2 nuclear power plants.
- Adjustments to discounts for irrigation and aquaculture, shifting the incentivized consumption to specific periods of 8 hours and 30 minutes per day.
With the expedited process, the government seeks to ensure that benefits reach low-income families without interruption, preventing the measure from expiring.
