Electricity Prepaid Meters’ll go round in one Year – NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said that the new electricity tariff regime has the mechanism to meter all consumers within one year.

 

This came on Monday as power distribution companies began the implementation of the new tariffs increased by over 45 per cent despite oppositions from the National Assembly, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Labour Congress and the Nigerian Electricity Consumers Advocacy Network.

The Acting Head, NERC, Dr Anthony Akah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said, “The new tariff, besides eliminating fixed charge, has a robust mechanism to ensure that the distribution companies fully meter their consumers and eliminate ‘crazy’ billing within one year.’’

Electricity Consumers to Petition N’Assembly,Mminister

Disturbed by the insistence of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to enforce the new power tariffs from February 1, consumers have resolved to petition the National Assembly and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on the matter.

Towards the end of December last year, NERC announced a new tariff regime in which it raised the amounts payable for units of electricity by different categories of consumers by over 45 per cent and recently insisted that the new rates would be enforced from next month.

But consumers, under the aegis of the Nigerian Electricity Consumer Advocacy Network, has urged the government and the National Assembly not to allow the electricity distribution companies to implement the increase in tariffs.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Fashola

The Chairman, NECAN, Mr. Tomy Akingbogun, told our correspondent on Monday that the body had met with the heads of various consumer advocacy groups in states across the country and the demand of power consumers was unanimous.

Conflict arises as Pharmaceuticals Fight over 20% Import Tariff

Nigeria’s health sector is currently being threatened by a disagreement within the pharmaceutical industry over the possible imposition of a 20 percent tariff on imported drugs.

The conflict arises from the ongoing Common External Tariff (CET) which places zero tariff on imported finished drugs but imposes between five and 20 percent duty on imported raw and packaging materials.

 

Local manufacturers, consisting of members of the Pharmaceutical Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), say the five to 20 percent duty on raw and packaging materials is already threatening to destroy 150 local drug makers and an estimated N300 billion investment made so far, in the domestic sector, calling for a review of a the CET to include imposition of 20 percent tariff on imported finished drugs.