Standards for persons operating, repairing electric equipment in rural, mountainous border or island areas in Vietnam

Standards for persons operating, repairing electric equipment in rural, mountainous border or island areas in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Standards for persons operating, repairing electric equipment in rural, mountainous, border or island areas in Vietnam

According to Clause 2, Article 64 of the Electricity Law 2004 (amended 2012), persons operating, repairing electric equipment in rural, mountainous, border or island areas must satisfy the following criteria:

- Being aged full 18 or older;

- Being certified by medical bodies as physically fit for the jobs;

- Possessing professional certificates or diplomas in electricity, issued by vocational training establishments;

- Possessing safety cards issued by provincial-level agencies which perform the state management over electricity activities and electricity use.

2. Policies on development of rural, mountainous, border, island electricity in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 60 of the Electricity Law 2004 (amended 2012), the policy on electricity development in rural, mountainous, border and island areas is as follows:

- To attract all resources for investment in building electricity infrastructures, accelerate the process of rural, mountainous and island electrification.

- To create favorable conditions for people in deep-lying, remote areas, ethnic-minority regions, regions facing exceptionally difficult socio­economic conditions to use electricity for production and daily-life activities.

- Organizations and individuals of all economic sectors, engaged in electricity-generating, distributing and/or business activities in rural, mountainous or island regions facing difficult or exceptionally difficult socio-economic conditions shall be entitled to policies of investment, financial and other preferences according to law provisions on investment promotion.

- To encourage organizations and individuals to invest in construction of electricity grids or electricity-generating stations using local energies, new energies, renewable energies to supply electricity to rural, mountainous or island areas.

- To prioritize the adequate and timely supply of electricity to water pumping stations in service of irrigation, water-logging and drought fighting.

3. Investment in development of rural, mountainous and island electricity in Vietnam

According to Article 61 of the Electricity Law 2004 (amended 2012), the investment in development of rural, mountainous and island electricity is as follows:

- The State shall adopt policies to support electricity units operating in areas where electricity investment and operations bear no economic efficiency.

- The State shall adopt policies to provide investment support for construction of transmission lines from the outlets of electricity meters to electricity-using households entitled to social policies and meeting with exceptional economic difficulties as certified by local People's Committees.

- The State's support policies cover:

= Support in investment capital;

= Support in interest rates on investment capital loans;

= Tax preferences.

The Finance Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Industry Ministry in, guiding the implementation of support policies.

- The People's Committees at all levels shall have to create conditions for organizations and individuals to invest in building, renovating or upgrading rural, mountainous, island electricity grids.

4.  Electricity retailing prices in rural, mountainous and island areas in Vietnam

Electricity prices in rural, mountainous, border and island areas are specified in Article 62 of the Electricity Law 2004 (amended 2012) as follows:

- The electricity sale prices in rural, mountainous, border and island areas which connecting with the national Power grids, are implemented as prescribed in Article 31 of the Electricity Law 2004.

- The electricity sale prices in rural, mountainous, border and island areas which having not yet connected with the national Power grids, are implemented as follows:

= The electricity retail prices for living purpose are elaborated by the relevant electricity units, being decided by the provincial People’s Committees in conformity with the mechanism on electricity retail price support for living purpose at this area,having been prescribed by the Prime Minister;

= Other electricity prices are elaborated by the relevant electricity units, being decided by the provincial People’s Committees under the principle of assurance of helping electricity units cover full costs, attain reasonable profit for electricity units on the basis of consultancy of the electricity regulation agency.

Ho Quoc Tuan

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