Poultry producers ask Varela to void power price hike

Panama poultry producers have issued a  “categorical” and “absolute” refusal to  accept  the electricity price hike, that has provoked protests for three consecutive days, and  they have called on President Juan Carlos Varela to “immediately.” suspend the proposed

The National Association of Poultry Farmers of Panama (Anavip) said in a public statement that the tariff adjustment, which affects 24.5% of users, impacts “directly and negatively” customers whose monthly consumption exceeds 301-kilowatt hours, among which is the entire productive sector of the country and activities such as poultry farming.

They considered “unacceptable and unfair” that consumers of electricity “pay for the irresponsibility and lack of timely administrative decisions” of public officials in charge of making the investments required for the proper functioning of the country’s power generation and distribution plant.

They stressed that the poultry sector has developed a process of modernization and investment in technology that demands and depends on the consumption of electricity, so this increase in the electricity tariff “would significantly impact” the activity. “

The Anavip recalled that the industry is in solidarity with its consumers and collaborates with the price control promoted by the Government, “making all possible sacrifices, so we cannot accept the measure adopted by the National Authority of Public Services (Asep) to punish national production. “

“The increase in the electricity tariff increases all the costs of production processes in the agricultural sector and therefore the final product that in many cases will be reflected in the pockets of the entire Panamanian population, which will directly or indirectly affect all citizens