Southern Myanmar Development (SMD) Co., Ltd will suspend the collection of Ks 500 monthly service fee and stop providing street light in Lamaing town and nearby villages in northern Ye Township, Mon State since the service fee was not included in the agreement, according to a copy of a letter sent by the company.
The letter dated August 18 was addressed to Hnit Kayin Village Group Administrator U Than Naing and signed by the in-charge of SMD Northern Ye Region Power Distribution Project, whose name was not mentioned.
“The street light issue remains. The company has requested us to pay the fee for providing streetlight in the village in the last two months. It’s difficult to talk about this because they provided street light on their own and collected the fees from the houses even though it wasn’t included in the agreement. I have to consult with the villagers,” he told the Mon News Agency.
SMD Company provided street light in Hnit Kayin Village from April 7 to August 31 and it has requested the village administrator to take charge in negotiating with the consumers to submit the street light fee before September 20.
During a public meeting held in Hnit Kayin Village on August 17, the consumers refused to pay for other services that were not in line with the agreement with the SMD Company and they told the company that they can only submit the fees based on the units they have consumed.
SMD Northern Ye Region Power Distribution Office in Lamaing did not respond when it was contacted by Mon News Agency via phone.
In the response letter from SMD Company, the company stated that it will continue to provide power to all consumers in Hnit Kayin Village just like other villages and shut down all street light in the village starting on September 1.
“From the security point of view, the street light issue is concerned with the government. The state government should provide the support. The government should take charge and negotiate a suitable fee for the long run without placing burdens on the local residents,” said Nai Wai, administrator of Lamaing Myoma (3).
Although the Mon State Hluttaw has allowed SMD Company to distribute power, the company has not carried out anything to receive an official license for power distribution, according to the Mon State Hluttaw.
SMD Company collects Ks 425 per unit in Lamaing town, Maw Kanin, Hnit Kayin, Tha Pyay Ywar Thit and Kaw Dut villages and a dispute broke out between the local residents and the company for collecting Ks 500 monthly service fee and Ks 42,50 monthly streetlight fee from each home.
