Transfer A0 to the Ministry in June
The announcement of the conclusion of the Government Standing Committee at the meeting on major tasks and solutions to stabilize the macro-economy, control inflation, promote growth and ensure major balances of the economy was just issued today, requesting the Ministry of Industry and Trade to coordinate with a number of ministries and branches to urgently complete the procedures to transfer the National Power System Dispatch Center to the Ministry of Industry and Trade in June 2023.
The National Power System Dispatch Center was established under Decision No. 180 NL/TCCB-LD dated April 11, 1994 of the Ministry of Energy (now the Ministry of Industry and Trade); under the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN). Due to its particularly important role, this is where high-quality human resources are concentrated.
A0 has member units which are the Northern, Central and Southern Power System Control Centers.
Sharing with PV. VietNamNet, an EVN representative said: A0 does two main jobs: operating the power system and the electricity market nationwide; how and how much power sources are mobilized is what A0 does every day to operate the national power system.
In addition, another important task of A0 is to be in charge of operating the electricity market.
In the Submission to the Prime Minister on June 14, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed transferring the management and direction of A0 from EVN to the Ministry according to two options.
Option 1: A0 becomes a public service unit providing power system operation and electricity market management services under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Option 2: A0 becomes a 100% State-owned single-member limited liability company (LLC) operating the power system and managing the electricity market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, both of the above options ensure the criteria of independence and objectivity of A0 compared to the present, the ability to coordinate with related units and the ability to flexibly innovate and create.
Under current conditions, to meet the goal of transferring A0 status to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, this agency chose option A0 as a public service unit providing power system operation services and electricity market management.
An official of the electricity industry wondered: If both parts of A0 are transferred to the Ministry, the Ministry will have to mobilize electricity on the market and pay others, then sell it back to the electricity corporations.
Mobilizing and allocating electricity sources more objectively
According to experts, A0 is like the heart of Vietnam's power system. If A0 is under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, its objectivity is naturally higher than at EVN. The regulation, allocation, and mobilization of power sources will be completely independent of the group's operations.
When A0 is transferred to the Ministry, EVN's power plants will be like all other private power generation units. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will then have to take responsibility for ensuring the country's power supply, instead of EVN, because currently EVN and the power generation corporations (Genco) only hold less than 40% of the power source.
Energy expert Ha Dang Son said that it is not impossible for A0 to be transferred to the Ministry, but the problem is what mechanism does the Ministry of Industry and Trade have to “feed” A0? Without a mechanism, it will be very difficult to complete this in June.
Because of the lack of such a mechanism, what will happen to A0's staff after they return to the Ministry? Will they quit if their income requirements are not met when personnel issues are the most important thing for A0?
"Bringing A0 to the Ministry must definitely come with a special mechanism: will they enjoy all the benefits like at EVN?", Mr. Ha Dang Son wondered.
This is also the concern of the Ministry of Industry and Trade when receiving A0. This agency recommends: In case A0 is converted into a affiliated public service unit, the Ministry believes that there must be a specific financial mechanism that is sufficient to ensure the maintenance of the current equivalent salary and allowance levels to avoid disruptions in A0's human resources, leading to risks in the stable, safe and efficient operation of the power system, especially during the transition and completion of the organizational model.
In addition, according to experts, how A0's investment in equipment, machinery, etc. will be carried out when it returns to the Ministry is also a big question.
Because when under EVN, investment decisions are made quickly, meeting dispatch requirements, especially in emergency situations. But when under the Ministry, if it has to follow the procurement process of a state administrative agency, it will be delayed and heavily dependent on the amount of budget allocated.
Therefore, it is necessary to have accompanying mechanisms soon to avoid negative impacts on the modernization of A0, especially the issue of timely procurement of machinery and equipment to meet the increasingly difficult operating requirements of the power system.
Source
Comment (0)