Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to use money from the state budget to subsidize electricity prices for residents in island communes and districts and poor households.

Accordingly, 72.6 billion VND will be granted to five provinces to subsidize electricity prices and maintain the operation of water tanks and seawater purifiers on islands, as well as assist the operation of boats transporting fresh water and basic necessities to islands communes and districts.

Of the amount, 61 billion VND (2.8 million USD) goes to the southern province of Kien Giang, 2.6 billion VND to Quang Tri, 3.8 billion VND to Binh Thuan, 2.2 billion VND to Quang Nam and 3 billion VND to Binh Dinh.

The PM also agreed to increase the 2015 budget allocations for localities to subsidize electricity cost for poor households and households benefiting from social policies under the Decision No 28/2014/QD-TTg issued on April 7, 2014.-VNA