27 August 2015, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, has lamented that the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation, CAPMI, scheme has suffered poor implementation as power distribution companies, DISCOs, take money from estimating their customers rather than metering them, despite customers’ willingness to make advance payments for meters.
Amadi made this known as he announced plans by the Commission to commence enforcement action against the eight DISCOs for non-compliance with the terms in the CAPMI initiative.
NERC’s action is following its dissatisfaction with the level of implementation of the CAPMI by majority of the DiISCOs operating in the country.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Dr. Usman Arabi, the agency said that it has issued to the Discos a seven day ultimatum to show cause why punitive actions should not be taken and sanction meted on them for non-compliance with the CAPMI.
The commission explained that its decision to punish the distribution companies stems from their violation of the provisions of the terms and conditions of the licenses they hold.
Amadi ordered them to immediately provide meters to customers that have paid for them. To this extent, he said the Commission would issue an order setting the credited advance payment itself after the stipulated period of 18 months to allow DISCOs aggressively meter their CAPMI customers.