COVID-19: No increase in electricity tariff now — Minister
...Safety of Nigerians, not tariff increment, DisCos’ priority, says ANED
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says there will be a 3-month delay in the implementation of any electricity tariff.
Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mamman said that the delay in the implementation of the tarrif was one of several critical actions that the administration was taking to ensure citizens have power supply in this difficult time.
He said that the 3-month delay in the implementation of tariff was consistent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement on March 29 granting a moratorium for certain Federal Government funded facilities to the Nigerian Public.
The minister commended players in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) that made commitments to ensure stable power supply during this period.
“”We must work together. I must specifically commend the Distribution Companies (DsCos) that have direct interface with the citizens.
“Many of the DisCos have announced that they will take measures to maintain power supply to citizens in this difficult time.
“I would like to implore that the DisCos uphold these commitments,”he said.
He listed the key emergency measures being taken to support NESI in the tariff delay for 3-months to limit economic hardship on Nigerians in this difficult time include ongoing engagements with key players involved in the NESI to ensure sustainable power supply.
According to him, players in the industry are working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure payments to the generators and gas suppliers.
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He said that the payment to be done through the Payment Assurance Facility (PAF) would be expedited to support power supply.
Meanwhile, the Association of Nigeria Electricity Distributors (ANED) says the priority of the Distribution Companies (DisCos) at the moment is the safety of their employees and customers, not tariff increment.
Mr. Sunday Oduntan, Executive Director, Research and Documentation of ANED, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview in Lagos, while reacting to suspension of the proposed hike in electricity tariffs.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had on Tuesday ordered the 11 DisCos to suspend the tariffs increment, which which was supposed to take effect on April 1, in view of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Oduntan said: “As far as the DisCos are concerned, we are all aware of the national emergency situation, and we are just concerned now with the safety of our workers, safety of our customers and safety of the nation.
“That is more important than any other thing at the moment.”
NAN reports that NERC had conducted public hearings on the DisCos proposal to increase their tariffs from Feb. 25 to March 9 across the country.
One of the DisCos, Eko Electricity Distribution Company, had proposed a tariff increase, which would raise the average tariff from the current level of N28.25 per kilowatt to N42.41 per kilowatt.
Similarly, Ikeja Electric had proposed 50 per cent increment that would raise the average tariff from the current level of N27.30 per kilowatt to N40.95 per kilowatt.
