The discount applies to businesses and households for a maximum of 300 kilowatt-hour consumption per month from October to December. Consumption above this limit will attract normal prices.

Covid-19 quarantine centers will get a 100 percent discount on their electricity bills, while medical facilities which test and treat Covid-19 patients can enjoy get a 20 percent discount.

The government had already given a 10 percent discount in the second quarter, which was estimated to cost the state coffers nearly VND11 trillion ($476 million).

The discounts came as Vietnam’s economy was badly hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic, with key sectors posted drastically reduced or even negative growth.

In the first nine months, 31.8 million workers were affected by the pandemic, losing their jobs or having their working hours reduced, according to the General Statistics Office.