‘Power coops charging high fees’

ELECTRIC cooperatives in Cebu are guilty of exorbitant fees, says an official of a cooperative.

Orlando Ravanera, executive director of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), urged members of the electric coops in Cebu to question the transaction of shares and amortization of these coops that “carelessly” impose fees.

“If you’re the user, you’re the owner. That’s supposed to be the principle,” Ravanera said during the opening of the Central Visayas Coop Congress yesterday.

Ravanera said that many sectors were still “left in the dark” about the transactions of their cooperative.

In Cebu, he said that power consumers from their coop had to pay an additional 12 percent tax since their coops were not member of the CDA.

He cited Republic Act 9520 or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 which prescribed that non-CDA members would pay additional tax.

He also challenged the members of the electric cooperatives to inquire to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) about the data on shares and amortization of the coop so that that they would be aware of the transaction.

“That data should be rectified with integrity,” he said.

Ravanera said they hope to unify all cooperative sectors like the farmers and the fisher folks and the service-based sectors like water and power to provide a unified solution and address the issue to the consumer’s concerned.

Among the electric cooperatives in Cebu are Bantayan Electric Cooperative, Camotes Electric Cooperative and Cebu Electric Cooperative./Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya