No plans to phase out subsidies by year-end: APSR
Muscat: The Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) has confirmed that what has been circulated about its plan to completely lift subsidies before the end of 2025 is false.
Speaking on the 'Economic Forum' programme on Oman Radio, Dr Mansoor bin Talib al Hinai, Chairman of the authority, reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining current support mechanisms while simultaneously working to enhance sector efficiency.
'There is no intention to fully remove subsidies until the end of 2025,' Al Hinai confirmed.
According to the APSR Chairman, the authority is currently working within regulatory frameworks alongside all licensed companies to reduce costs, improve system efficiency, and introduce alternative energy sources.
Al Hinai said that efforts are underway, and focus has been made on boosting service quality and cost-effectiveness.
Through service-level assurance standards, we will guarantee a consistent level of service for every electricity subscriber. We have already begun trial phases in the water sector, in coordination with licensed operators,' he added.
In his statement, al Hinai said companies that failed to meet the service-level assurance standards will be entitled to pay compensation directly to its customers.
"The Authority announced last year that electricity firms are directly responsible for granting compensation to their customers if they failed to meet the service-level requirements set by the Authority", he pointed out.
Al Hinai said compensations paid last year stood at around RO 60,00 following failure by some companies to provide the service-level required.
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