July 27, 2024

The 1,969 member-consumer-owners (MCOs) of the Benguet Electric Cooperative who have paid in full their minimum capital share (CS) contribution will soon enjoy a “power subsidy.”

The subsidy, which will be credited or reflected in their power bills, comes from the interest of the share capital which Beneco deposited or invested with a bank that guaranteed a premium yield account.

The interest covered the period September to December 2023. This will be distributed to the MCOs who have paid their capital share contribution of P2,000.

The provision of the subsidy is contained in a resolution entitled “Resolution approving the declaration and distribution of power subsidy to members who paid their share capital” which was passed by Task Force Beneco during its meeting on April 26.

Those who paid P2,000 will enjoy the power subsidy and those who paid more than the required minimum share capital will enjoy a proportionately higher subsidy.

About 1,046 of the 1,969 MCOs who will enjoy the power subsidy have paid in full the P2,000 minimum share capital contribution while 923 have each paid more than P2,000.

A total of 42,627 members each paid below P2,000.

“For consumers who have yet to complete their capital share contribution, their power subsidy will be put on hold until they have completed their share capital. This is why we encourage them to complete at least their minimum contribution of P2,000,” said Beneco Accounting Officer Benelita Linmipao.

“For members who have not paid any share capital, they will not be entitled to any.”

Beneco has more than 144,000 members, more than half of whom have yet to pay their share capital or complete the minimum capital share contribution.

Beneco management opted to invest in a premium yield account what it has collected as share capital pending the completion of the 25 percent paid up capital pursuant to the cooperative law. Around P32.6 million has been collected since October 2021. – Laarni S. Ilagan