Federal Government has suspended the implementation of the new hike in electricity tariff.
Minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman in a statement, Thursday, said the new tariff remains suspended till the end of January, 2021.
According to him, there was no approval for 50 per cent increase in the tariff, but the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) only made some adjustments which led to some level of increase in the tariff.
The minister stated that government has been subsidising 55 per cent of the consumption by those with lower than 12-hour power supply.
“To promote a constructive conclusion of the dialogue with the Labour Centres (through the Joint Ad-Hoc Committee), I have directed NERC to inform all DISCOs that they should revert to the tariffs that were applicable in December 2020 until the end of January 2021 (when the FGN/Labour committee work will be concluded).
“This will allow for the outcome of all resolutions from the Committee to be implemented together,” the minister ordered.
“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,” he noted in the statement.
“The Administration and the Ministry of Power will also continue to devise means to provide support for vulnerable Nigerians while ensuring we have a sustainable Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)”, he stated.
