TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Opposition lawmakers on Friday (May 3) agreed to move forward with an amendment requiring electricity rate hikes to gain the approval of the Legislative Yuan.
The vote followed the April 1 rate increase decided by a review committee and approved by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government. Officials pointed out that Friday’s vote means the opposition motion will have a second reading, but that it could not be retroactive and lead to the cancelation of the April 1 hike, per Radio Taiwan International (RTI).
The Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) combined their forces to defeat the DPP by 58 to 51 votes in the 113-seat Legislative Yuan. The DPP said it opposed amending Article 49 of the Electricity Act, adding that the electricity rate increase was needed to encourage conservation and to stem losses at state-owned Taiwan Power Company (Taipower).
KMT lawmakers said the government’s erroneous energy policies were responsible for problems, with the amendment needed to put the Electricity Act back on the right track. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said it respected the decisions of the Legislative Yuan, though the outcome of the existing rate decision mechanism had to be carried out.