Hanoi (VNA) – TheElectricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group and its subordinate firms cut downproduction and business costs by more than 1.25 trillion VND (55.2 million USD)in 2017 thanks to their efforts to improve business effectiveness andproductivity.
The group reported its operation outcomes in2017 at a conference held in Hanoi on January 4.
EVN Deputy General Director Vo Quang Lam said bythe end of last year, the firm had directly provided electricity for 25.6million customers, an increase of 0.8 million from 2016.
EVN and its subsidiaries encountered an array ofdifficulties in 2017, Lam said, noting that natural disasters and abnormalweather caused damage of over 600 billion VND (26.4 million USD) for the powersystem. Increases in prices of coal and gas for electricity production, waterresource tax, and forest environmental service fees also hindered the financingof power projects, he said.
Despite these facts, the group produced andbought 192.45 billion kWh of electricity in 2017, up 8.6 percent from theprevious year, ensuring power supply for socio-economic activities and majorevents like the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
The EVN operated the electricity system andmarket in accordance with demand, optimised power generation sources, andcapitalised on hydropower while ensuring water for irrigation in downstreamareas.
Lam highlighted that all electricity-relevantservices of EVN have been provided online since the end of 2017 to improveservice quality.
In the Doing Business report, Vietnam’s GettingElectricity index last year climbed 32 places from 2016 to rank 64th among 190countries and economies. It surpassed the 70th position targeted by the Government,thus greatly helping to improve the business environment and nationalcompetitiveness.
He added the group’s System Average InterruptionDuration Index (SAIDI) was 1,077 minutes, down 35 percent from 2016. Notably,the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation recorded a 54-percent decline in itsSAIDI to 235 minutes.
According to the EVN leader, productivity rose 9percent year on year to 1.92 million kWh per person.
Lam said the group continued to hire anindependent consultant to assess its clients’ satisfaction, which hascontinually increased. The satisfaction reached 7.97 points in 2017, up 0.28point from the previous year.-VNA