Confusion as NERC, minister disagree over electricity tariff hike
- Festus Keyamo, the minister of state for labour and employment, has denied the increment in the electricity tariff
- NERC had on Tuesday, January 5, announced a new 50% increase in the tariff
- Kayamo, however, maintained that there has been no increase in tariff by the government
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Hours after new electricity tariff was introduced by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo, has said that the government never approved the hike in the tariff.
Channels TV reports that the minister explained on Tuesday, January 5, that what was done was to adjust certain bands and to ensure that persons who are supposed to be on some bands are not wrongly put on some other bands.
Legit.ng gathered that Keyamo's position was contrary to a statement by NERC issued earlier on Tuesday, January 5, admitting that the rates for service bands A, B, C, D, and E have been “adjusted” by N2 to N4 per kilowatt-hour (KWH).
Source: Twitter
The agency had said that the adjustment was aimed at reflecting the partial impact of inflation and movement in forex.
Keyamo, who is the chairman of the sub-committee mandated to go round the country to interact with stakeholders and the discos to find a cost-effective tariff that Nigerians can pay, maintained that there has been no increase in tariff.
TUC reacts, blasts FG over new tariff
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) said it is disappointed by the recent hike in electricity tariffs approved by the NERC.
In a statement signed by TUC president, Comrade Quadri A. Olaleye, the union said the hike was effected despite negotiations still ongoing with organised labour over the last increase that became effective from November 1.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that amid outrage that the federal government approved a fresh hike in electricity tariff, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) refuted the report of a 50% increment.
It was reported that the commission in a series of tweets via its Twitter handle @NERCNG on Tuesday, January 5, said no approval was granted for such an increase that took effect on January 1, 2021.
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Source: Legit.ng
