TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An attempt by opposition lawmakers to nullify a rise in electricity rates has at least temporarily been halted, with the price hikes set to go ahead after the weekend, reports said Friday (March 29).

The government announced last week that from Monday (April 1), rates would go up by an average of 11%. Increases will range from 3% to 5% for most households and up to 25% for large industrial users.

Lawmakers of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) submitted a proposal for a rate freeze. As the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) disagreed, the issue was referred for negotiation between the caucuses, which means there can be no final decision within a month, according to legislative practice.

However, as the rate hikes were set by a pricing committee and approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), they would go ahead as planned, per UDN. State utility Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said it would be breaking the law if it failed to implement the rate increases on time.

Company officials said they did not know what to do if, after a month, the Legislative Yuan voted to freeze the rate hikes, as it had never happened before. They said they would wait for a decision by the MOEA.

Taipower defended the increases by pointing to the need to conserve energy and to make up for its losses totaling NT$382.6 billion (US$11.96 billion). The KMT blamed the losses on the government’s policy to end nuclear energy and replace it with alternative green forms of energy production.