STELCO directs inquiries regarding reimbursement of revenue lost from electricity bill discounts, mandated by Pres. Muizzu, to be submitted through an RTI request
Although STELCO has stated that the government will cover the electricity bill discounts issued during this Ramadan, the utility company has requested that a Right to Information (RTI) application be filed to obtain specific details regarding the arrangement. Furthermore, the company has yet to disclose details on how the government settled the discount payments for the previous year. Amidst this lack of transparency, public concern and allegations are mounting as residents report unusually high electricity bills following the discount period.
The STELCO head office. Although discounts were provided during the past month of Ramadan, many residents reported that the subsequent electricity bills sent to households had doubled in cost. | STELCO | Stelco
The State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) has directed inquiries regarding the reimbursement of revenue lost from electricity bill discounts, initiated under President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s directive, to be submitted through a Right to Information (RTI) request.
During a special PNC meeting held on November 14, 2025, President Muizzu announced that electricity bills for all households charged at domestic rates will be capped at a maximum of MVR 400 for the upcoming month of Ramadan. Following this announcement, STELCO conducted meter readings on February 16 and 17, 2026, to prepare specialized billing specifically for the month of Ramadan.
When questioned by RaajjeMV regarding how the company would recover the revenue lost from the significant discounts provided on electricity bills, a media official from STELCO stated that the government would cover the payments. However, no further details were provided.
Furthermore, when questioned regarding when the government settled the outstanding payments to STELCO for the electricity bill discounts provided during last year's Ramadan, how those payments were processed, the estimated total the government must reimburse STELCO for this year's Ramadan discounts, and whether these funds are disbursed through the Ministry of Finance, the official stated that they were unable to provide answers to these inquiries and advised submitting a Right to Information (RTI) request.
Despite President Muizzu’s assurance that information from government ministries and state-owned enterprises would be accessible without the need for Right to Information (RTI) requests, the administration faces significant criticism for withholding and concealing a vast amount of data. While electricity bill discounts were also provided during last year’s Ramadan, the government has yet to disclose how the resulting financial shortfalls owed to STELCO were settled.
As STELCO faces serious public allegations, many consumers are reporting that electricity bills issued following the application of government discounts have surged to inexplicably high levels. Members of the public have expressed their disapproval of the current discount mechanism, voicing concerns that households typically billed at 400 MVR could see their future charges skyrocket to over 4,000 MVR.
Despite allegations that the government is overcharging on electricity and water bills, both STELCO and MWSC have denied these claims. STELCO stated that customers are not billed for services they have not received, asserting that such allegations arise from a lack of understanding regarding the billing mechanism.
