SKOPJE, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia's new government will reintroduce the cheap electricity tariff starting from October, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told reporters Thursday.
The measure was one of the promises the SDSM-led government made before the elections.
"Cheap electricity will be available between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. every day and on Saturday and all day Sunday," Zaev told reporters at a joint press conference with Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Koco Angjusev and Economy Minister Kresnik Bektesi.
The prime minister explained that such a decision would cost Macedonia about eight million euros (9.4 million U.S. dollars).
According to Zaev, the poorest consumers are the ones who will save the most.
Meanwhile, Angjusev told reporters that the cheap energy tariffs would not affect the electricity price increase.
The new government would focus on promoting new electricity sources as well as strengthening the domestic energy production, Zaev said.
"With renewable sources of electricity, with the presence of larger energy production and our plans to have new investments in new energy sources, all this gives us the right to expect that there will be no tendencies for price increase," the prime minister said.
