Covid-19 Economic Relief Package: discount worth MVR 60.6m offered for utility bills
MWSC contributed the biggest discount for water bills
STELCO provided a MVR 27.4 million discount to 45,068 households
A total of MVR 60.6 million has been approved as discount for utility bills, under the government's Economic Relief Package (ERP).
The details were publicized by the Minister of Finance, Ibrahim Ameer during a press briefing on Saturday afternoon, at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
Minister stated that a total of MVR 10.9 million was approved as discount for water bills, for 46,417 households.
The average per household under this amount is MVR 235.
The biggest contribution towards this discount was from the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), which approved a MVR 9.8 million discount for a total of 33,198 households.
State Electric Company (STELCO) comes second, having offered a MVR 0.8 million discount for 558 households.
Utilities company FENAKA Corporation also provided a discount in bills for 12,661 companies, amounting MVR 0.3 million.
Out of the MVR 49.7 million provided as discount for electricity bills to 92,588 households, the biggest contribution was by STELCO, totaling MVR 27.4 million to 45,068 households.
FENAKA comes second having provided a MVR 22 million discount for 46,839 households and MWSC provided a MVR 0.3 million discount for 681 households as well.
The average discount offered per household for electricity bills, sits at MVR 537.
In addition, loan requests were received in several other sectors including agriculture, construction, commerce as well as tourism among many others.
Out of the 1,680 requests in total, 640 applications were received and disbursed was 127.1 million.
The highest requests came in the commercial sector, at 548 out of which 257 were approved for MVR 63.3 million.
Next comes 620 requests from free lancers out of which 171 were approved for a loan of MVR 4.5 million.
Further, loans were also approved for 97 employees of the tourism sector out of the 207 applicants. The approved amount sits at MVR 25.2 million.
Three individuals out of the seven who applied under the agricultural sector were granted loans and they were given MVR 0.5 million each as well.
