Nigeria news : Electricity: FG announces resolutions, reliefs for Nigerians

Electricity, The suspension of the new electricity tariff has been extended by one week.

James Momoh, Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) confirmed this on Monday.

He spoke when the ad hoc Technical Committee on Electricity Tariff submitted its interim report at a bilateral meeting between Federal Government and the Organised Labour.

Momoh said the week extension was to enable the committee review and work out modalities for the implementation of the agreement reached on the electricity tariff’s structure.

Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said that adoption of the work plan to effect the resolutions has been reached.

The resolutions adopted would be implemented by all stakeholders on Sunday, October 18.

He noted that the government was using the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) VAT proceeds to provide relief in electricity tariffs.

“This is to leverage on the VAT from the NESI. The increases experienced by customers due to the transition to the Service-Based Tariff will be reduced. Band A – 10 percent reduction; Band B – 10.5 percent reduction; and Band C – 31 percent reduction.”

Agreements were also reached on National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP)

For the distribution of the first one million meters, the Ministry of Power will liaise with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA).

They are to start work by October 12 to accelerate the rollout of meters with a target of December 2020.

Ngige said the government was committed to providing six million meters.

Furthermore, NERC is expected to compel the DISCOs to meet the metering needs of the customers.

Local procurement for Meters for National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) was also agreed.

NERC must ensure that the personnel costs of electricity workers should be placed on a first-line charge on the Primary Collection Account.

The agency was ordered to oversee a mandatory refund for overbilling during system transition by the DISCOs.