Electricity rates for industrial use to be raised to ASEAN level by year-end: Purnomo

The government will by the end of this year increase basic rates of electricity for industrial use to the level sold in other ASEAN countries, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Wednesday.

?Our electricity prices are below those from other ASEAN countries, so we need to raise them,? the minister said in a parliamentary hearing.

Purnomo said however that the government would continue to subsidize electricity for households.

Since 2001, the government has raised electricity rates by an average of 6 percent every three months so as to reach commercial rates of 7 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour in 2005. (godang)