*Says tariff increase won’t solve inefficiency
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Electricity workers in the country under the auspices of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Company, SSAEAC, have kicked against the increase in electricity tariff by NERC.
Assistant General Secretary, SSAEAC, Innocent Lord-Douglas, told our correspondent in Port Harcourt, that increase in electricity tariff will not solve inefficiency in the power sector.
Lord-Douglas explained that increasing electricity tariff when there has been no improvement in the power sector, is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.
He regretted that the tariff increase will only increase attacks on electricity workers on field job by electricity consumers, as they (electricity workers) are the physical company that the public sees.
“We are against the tariff, its like putting the cart before the horse. Power infrastructure should be improved because people are paying for darkness.
“My regret is for the electricity workers that goes to the street for this monies, because they (workers) are the NEPA the public sees, the assault and harassment will be much.”
The electricity workers also said that it will be impossible for distribution companies to collect reasonable electricity bills due to inefficiency of the operations.
“Tariff change is expected as in the so-called MYTO plan but the problem goes beyond the tariff adjustments using economic variables. The fact remains that the DisCos cannot collect reasonable percentage of their bills due to inefficiency of their operations.
“They have to invest heavily in meters and equipment to reach breakeven efficiency. Tariff increases cannot solve efficiency problem but pass their inefficiency to customers. The uncollected revenue is loss to paying consumers when tariff is further increased on the paying customers.”
