FG orders electricity firms to connect new businesses in 60 days

The power sector has keyed into the presidential initiative on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ as the 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) have been told to connect new businesses in 60 days, rather than the 190 days timeline.

A communiqué issued for the 16th monthly meeting of power sector operators in Ugwuaji NIPP Transmission Substation in Enugu State said the cooperation of the DisCos was vital to ensuring 100 per cent compliance to the initiative in the sector.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was also told at the meeting to take decisive action on DisCos who disconnected customers that had prepaid metres.

“This action leads to low level of public trust in the sector,” the communiqué said.

On the eligible customer declaration by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who chaired the meeting, the DisCos were urged to improve their services so that customers would remain under them instead of buying power from Generation Companies (GenCos).

State governments were advised to become eligible customers so that they could buy more power from GenCos to their states.

The communiqué noted the progress report on repair of 100 megawatts (mw) Afam IV transformer and works at the 240mw Afam III Fast Power project expected before year end.

It also said the 450mw Azura Power in Edo State would be completed before March 2018, with 160,000 households expected to benefit from the power stability after these plants were commissioned.