Published June 13, 2017, 10:00 PM by Myrna Velasco
Owing it to cost as well as fleet
deployment considerations, the Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking revisions
in the terms of the loan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) covering the
3,000 electric tricycles (e-trikes) deployment that had been previously decided
to be pushed ahead.
As assessed, the per unit cost of
the e-trike proved punishing to prospective beneficiary-drivers because it had
been set at a steep price of P456,000 a fleet – almost the price of a sedan
car, which in essence, could be prohibitive to penny-pinching trike
drivers to fend for.
Procurement of the ADB loan has also
been “deemed restrictive” because the drawdown can only be done through local
government units (LGUs) with guarantee from their Internal Revenue Allotments
(IRAs) – a parameter that is not seen viable by the concerned government
entities.
It is for this reason, according to
the energy department, that they will be batting for amendments in the ADB’s
loan terms and conditions.
For the 3,000 e-trike fleets, the
financing cost had been pegged at P1.73 billion – drastically scaled down from
P21.672 billion when Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi opted to cancel the
remaining portion of the loan covering the bulk of 97,000 e-trike units.
It was the Aquino administration
that advanced the electric vehicle (EV) program in the country intending to
deploy 100,000 units of e-trikes nationwide. It was then anchored on a
five-year rollout period culminating in year 2020.
DOE Assistant Secretary Leonido
Pulido III admitted that there are challenges in the implementation even for
the 3,000 e-trikes’ deployment, but the department will still push for it just
so it can have a test-bed for electric mobility in the country.
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