Reps insist NERC suspends proposed tariff hike

A House of Representatives committee has insisted that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should suspend the planned increase in electricity tariff until investigation on the matter was concluded.

The legislators’ stance was contained in a letter dated December 15 to NERC written by the House ad-hoc committee investigating the activities of distribution companies (Discos).

The committee reminded the commission of previous correspondences in which it was agreed that further action be suspended regarding review of electricity tariffs in the country.

The letter, signed by the committee’s chairman, Rep Babajimi Benson, stated the reminder became necessary in view of recent publications that suggested NERC would go ahead with the increase.

The letter read, “Our attention has been drawn to various news items published in many newspapers of yesterday ( Tuesday) 13th December, 2015 to the effect that your commission has concluded plans to announce the new electricity tariff to Nigerians this week.

“It is our opinion that any plan by your commission to announce new electricity tariffs will run contrary to the spirit of the letter under reference and undermines the outcome of the investigative hearing by this committee as it relates to infrastructure and billing by electricity distribution companies.” The Reps, therefore, demanded that NERC suspend s the announcement and/ or implementation of any increase in electricity tariff until the controversial issues “are concluded.”