Saudi Electricity says subsidies should be revised

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s system of electricity subsidies “should be revised,” the chief executive of Saudi Electricity Co. said.
“Subsidies are becoming a big part of the government budget,” Ali Al-Barrak said at a financial conference in Riyadh. “Subsidies should be revised and done in a different way. They should be smarter and support the low-income people.”
He also described subsidy reform as one tool to reduce energy consumption. Fuel and water subsidies are also issues for the government, he added.
Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed Al-Jasser said earlier at the conference that Saudi Arabian government subsidies, particularly for fuel, were “increasingly distorting” the economy and that the government was trying to address the issue.
He did not give any details or say whether his comments indicated a new initiative by the government.