Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cautioned Federal Government against going ahead with increment in electricity tariff. In a statement, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the planned increment, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2023, is insensitive, especially in the face of hike in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
He said: “The massive increase is explained away as response to the over 100 per cent increase in pump price of PMS. Details reveal a movement in inflation from 16.9 per cent to 22.41 (threatening to needle 30), and a shift in the exchange rate from N441 to N750.”
Faulting data rolled out to justify the tariff hike, Ajaero said: “The issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery is not only germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic. The service providers, despite sundry support, have not been able to meet the threshold of 5,000 megawatts. Coupled with this, there have been surreptitious increases without notice, in violation of statutes.”
He argued that inherent risk in the new tariff is absence of control, implying that by August, consumers would pay new rates.
“The other risk is that by the time other products or service-rendering entities come up with their new prices or rates, the ordinary person would have been compacted into dust,” he said.
Ajaero accused promoters of the electricity hike as combative and combustible characters, adding: “Market economies, which fundamentalists seek to emulate, have in place socio-economic safeguards, which we do not have. In light of this, our advice is that this proposed tariff hike be shelved for our collective safety.”
Guardian
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