The regime is losing around K300 billion ($142 million USD) due to people not paying electricity bills in seven states and regions of Burma, according to sources close to the junta’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy. “Despite the [Burma] army being there, electricity staff cannot rely on them for protection from being killed… No one dares to go collect bills,” a man in Sagaing Region told DVB. Some electricity office staff working in Mon State’s Ye and Kyaikto townships have submitted requests to transfer to other offices due to threats and safety concerns, but these requests were denied by the junta, according to reports.
“In Ye, administrators were killed. [Pro junta] militias have been shot at. Civil servants have been shot dead too. They don’t even dare to tell others that they are civil servants. They don’t even think about collecting electricity bills,” a resident of Ye Township explained. In addition to the loss of revenue from electricity bills, 64 transmission towers – including 19 which provided nine lines of 66 KV and 45 towers with six lines of 230 and 132 KV – are said to have been damaged by recent explosions.