Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has asserted that Nigerians who have not been paying electricity bills in the past are those complaining about the tariff increase for Band A customers.
Naija News reports that Adelabu, while speaking at the 8th Africa Energy Marketplace forum on Thursday in Abuja, said the new tariff had reduced the energy cost for consumers in Band A by 30 to 40 percent.
According to the Minister, the electricity tariff was not intended to burden Nigerians or worsen the already bad economic situation caused by the high inflation rate.
He also faulted the claim that the new tariff has increased the cost of production for manufacturers, leading to the high cost of goods and services.
Adelabu noted that, with the tariff hike, Band A customers’ spending on generator servicing, diesel, and petroleum procurement has subsided considerably.
While stating that Nigeria should not be suffering from a lack of electricity owing to the abundance of sun, water, and gas, the Minister bemoaned the sector’s failure to get it right for the past 60 years.
He said, “The electricity tariff was not targeted at improvising Nigerians or worsening the already bad economic situation of high inflation rate and naira losing value but targeted at resolving or reducing the hardship of the people.
“Those on Band A, if they should do their arithmetic properly, to compare what they have been spending on energy provision from grid supply and energy generators put together, before the review of tariff, they have achieved nothing less than 30 to 40 percent reduction in their total cost. That is the truth.
“We are also electricity consumers, so we can attest to this fact. It is true that if you are in Band A, your bill would have doubled if not more. But check out what you have been spending on your generator servicing, diesel and petroleum procurement, it would have down considerably.
“So the argument of this new tariff having the capacity of increasing the cost of production and raising the prices of goods and services is not logical.
“Manufacturers under Band A should have a lower Energy cost by now, thereby, reducing their cost of production. Except those that have not been paying for electricity in the past. We can also come together to compare notes with practical example. But how this new tariff regime will increase the cost of production is not valid because I am in that industry too.”
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