PANJIM: The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has expressed serious concerns regarding the recent hike in power tariffs across all sectors, which is set to significantly impact its members from various industries, including industrial, hospitality, agriculture, and allied activities.
In a statement, GCCI said the increased electricity tariffs for industries in Goa make it challenging for local industries to compete with those in other states, where industrial tariffs are lower.
"This disparity poses a significant threat to the competitiveness and sustainability of Goan industries in the manufacturing sector," the statement said.
It pointed out that during the public hearing conducted by JERC before the tariff increase, the trade body had proposed several alternative measures to generate additional revenue without burdening consumers.
Implementing steps to minimize power transmission losses to improve efficiency and lower costs, switching back from the current KVAH-based billing system to a KWH-based system to make billing more straightforward and cost-effective for consumers and focusing on areas with high distribution losses and peak load restrictions to take corrective actions that would benefit both consumers and the electricity department were the suggestions made by the GCCI.
The GCCI said it had also highlighted the need for improvements in the quality and reliability of power supply, noting that the current standards are much lower compared to major cities in India.
To address these issues, the chamber suggested the installation of automated sectionalisers to enhance power distribution efficiency, the statement said.
The GCCI said it had also brought to JERC’s notice that no district committee has been formed to review the quality of power supply which had led to continued dissatisfaction among consumers regarding the power quality.