Fonte: ANEEL
Representatives of the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL), Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Ministry of Social Development and Combating Hunger (MDS) and energy distribution concessionaires met in ANEEL's CEPAT auditorium last Tuesday (12/13) for a balance regarding application of the Social Tariff for Electric Energy (TSEE).
The social tariff is the object of Law no. 12.212/2010, which established the new criteria for benefit concession, replacing those previously established by Law no. 10.438/2002. The last step of transition to these new conditions began 12/1. After that date, all consumers must meet one of the following requirements to have the right to the benefit:
- Be a family registered in the Single Registry for Federal Government Social Programs (CadÚnico), with per capita monthly family income less than or equal to half a national minimum wage;
- Receive the Social Welfare’s Continuous Provision Benefit (BPC), as per the terms of articles 20 and 21 of Law no. 8.742/1993;
- Be a family registered in the Single Registry with monthly income of up to three minimum wages and bearer of a disease or pathology whose treatment requires the continuous use of devices, equipment or instruments that demand the consumption of electric energy for operation.
After the transition period, the first effects of benefit concession will be fully known in January 2012, when the current beneficiaries will receive the bill related to consumption in December 2011.
The balance presented during the meeting indicated the changes observed until last October and demonstrated a significant adjustment in benefit concession.The new criteria are considered socially more just because they exclude consumer units from the benefit such as summer homes and low consumption residential units, which are often used by consumers with incomes higher than the criteria projected in social programs.
Table 1 – Number of consumer units benefited by the Social Tariff – July / 2010*
*Beginning of application of new criteria stipulated in Law no. 12.212/2010.
Table 2 – Number of consumer units benefited by the Social Tariff – October / 2011
During the meeting, the MME and MDS presented explanations about Portaria Interministerial nº 630/2011,which deals with benefit concession to consumer units with family incomes of up to three minimum wages and whose members have a disease or handicap whose treatment requires the continuous use of electrical equipment.Representatives from both Ministries also evaluated the current stage of family registration in CadÚnico and the possibility of using the consultation module provided by the Caixa Econômica Federal.
The meeting also explained operational aspects to be observed by the distributors after conclusion of the transition period.A draft of the resolution that will regulate determination of the monthly difference in revenue and the sum of resources to be transferred to each distributor, within the scope of the TSEE, is available at the ANEEL site, on the following page: Audiência Pública nº 068/2011.(MB/MR/BT).
