According to information from the Ministry of Industry and Trade on October 1, the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a conference to collect opinions from experts, managers, businesses and related units in the energy sector on implementing a competitive electricity market.
Urgently build a competitive electricity market
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized: Resolution 70 of the Politburo on ensuring national energy security until 2030, with a vision to 2050, has identified very clear goals, tasks and solutions for developing a competitive electricity market, implementing two-component electricity prices, and overcoming cross-subsidy in electricity prices.
According to Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, although many results have been achieved in recent times, the Vietnamese electricity market is not really complete, and there are still many bottlenecks. For example, difficulties and delays in attracting investment and negotiating electricity prices; the price mechanism is not transparent, there is still cross-subsidy between customer groups; consumers do not have the right to choose electricity sellers. These are urgent issues that need to be resolved if we want to form a flat electricity market, creating momentum for energy development.
The challenge is even greater when in just the next 5 years, the power source capacity must increase by three times - from 81,000 MW to 234,000 - 251,000 MW according to the adjusted Power Plan VIII and Resolution 70 of the Politburo. Without a true and transparent market, achieving this goal will be extremely difficult.
The Minister affirmed: Resolution 70-NQ/TW of the Politburo is an order of practice. There is no longer room for hesitation; those who do not agree with reform must "stand aside".
Completing the electricity price mechanism and electricity purchase and sale contracts
Concluding the dialogue, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien affirmed: After listening to the overall reports of the units, experts all affirmed that developing a competitive electricity market and reforming the electricity price mechanism is an inevitable and objective trend that cannot be reversed to remove bottlenecks and create momentum to promote energy development.
In principle, the Minister emphasized:
Firstly, the construction, completion and development of a competitive electricity market needs to closely follow the policies and orientations of the Party and the Government, especially Resolution No. 70/NQ-TW; ensure consistent and consistent implementation of the principles stipulated in the Electricity Law.
Second, it is necessary to ensure publicity, transparency, equality, healthy competition, and no discrimination between subjects participating in the competitive electricity market.
Third, ensure the legitimate rights and interests of power units as well as electricity customers.
Fourth, respect and ensure the freedom to choose partners and transaction forms of buyers in the competitive electricity market, in accordance with each level of the competitive electricity market.
Fifth, there needs to be a roadmap suitable to the practical conditions of the Vietnamese electricity industry, on the basis of fully meeting the prerequisites, including a system of legal documents that must be complete, unified and synchronous. In addition, the electricity price mechanism and electricity purchase contracts need to be completed to meet market requirements.
Regarding specific tasks, through discussion, delegates agreed that the development and completion of a system of legal documents, on the one hand, must continue to evaluate, review and promptly amend the Electricity Law as the highest legal basis to remove current difficulties and obstacles for the development and operation of a competitive electricity market at all levels.
It is necessary to promptly amend and supplement regulations on operating the competitive electricity market at each level, ensuring compliance with the adjusted roadmap and design. A principle that needs to be respected is that market price signals must become an important factor in attracting investment - the Minister emphasized.
According to the Minister, there must be a roadmap to eliminate cross-subsidy in electricity prices between customer groups and regions, in line with competitive market levels; issue regulations on distribution service prices, ensuring the principle of "correctly calculating and accounting for" costs, especially in the electricity transmission stage.
In addition, it is necessary to issue a mechanism to manage and regulate the use of primary fuels for power generation, especially gas and mixing gas prices, to ensure energy efficiency and security.
