The Federal Government has directed the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to suspend the adjusted electricity tariff till the end of January this year.
This is to forestall the implementation of the duly performed minor review from N2 per kWh to N4 per kWh till the conclusion of the Joint Ad-Hoc committee’s work.
The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman via his Twitter handle on Thursday, said the development would give room for the outcome of all resolutions from the Committee to be implemented together.
Electricity tariffs will be reverted to what it was in November 2020, following the agreement between Organised Labour and the FG to increase the tariff (but still retain some subsidy), until the conclusion of the committee set up to look into the tariff issue.
Mamman tweeted, “To promote a constructive conclusion of the dialogue with the Labour Centers (through the Joint Ad-Hoc Committee), I have directed NERC to forestall the implementation of the duly performed minor review (which adjusted tariffs between N2 per kWh and N4 per kWh) until the conclusion of the Joint Ad Hoc Committee’s work at the end of January 2021.
“Contrary to the allegation that tariff has been increased by 50%, @NigeriaGov continues to fully subsidise 55% of on-grid consumers in bands D and E and maintain the life line tariff for the poor and underprivileged.
”Those citizens have experienced no changes to tariff rates from what they have paid historically (aside from the recent minor inflation and forex adjustment).
“Partial subsidies were also applied for bands A, B and C in October 2020. These measures are all aimed at cushioning the effects of the pandemic while providing more targeted interventions for citizens.
“The public is aware that FGN and the Labour Centers have been engaged in positive discussions about the electricity sector through a joint ad-hoc Committee led by the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity and Co-Chaired by the Minister of State for Power.
”Great progress has been made in these deliberations which are set to be concluded at the end of January, 2021.”
On Tuesday, January 5 NERC issued a public notice explaining that the tariff increase was not a 50% hike, but that the electricity tariff was raised N2 to N4 per kilowatt-hour.
