Power
generation companies (GenCos) in the country are now insisting that the Federal
Government must increase electricity tariff due to “high business costs”.
The Vice
Chairman, Mainstream Energy Solution, Ismaila Funtua, made the demand in an
interview with State House correspondents on the sidelines of the Quarterly
Presidential Business Forum held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Funtua also
disclosed that the representatives of the Gencos had asked for a meeting with
the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, and the Minister of Finance, Central Bank
of Nigeria Governor and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing to sort out
issues that were serving as impediments to their business.
He said the
GenCos were asking the government to stop subsidising electricity and “let
those who can pay for it do so”.
His words:
“Whether the government likes it or not, they have to review the tariff of
power in this country. All those playing politics with it that they do not want
to increase, people do not want to hear of this.
“This is my
cell phone, you pay for it even before you make use of it and nobody is
controlling their tariff. They charge what they want and all of us we have at
least one cell phone, therefore government needs to do the needful.
“If the
government wants power, then they cannot continue subsidising for people. You
were there when the Minister of Power was saying that people who have ability
to pay will pay, but those government needs to subsidise will be subsidised
for.”
“Many people
are talking about the review of the privatisation of power without knowing
where we started from, where we are today, are we owed money or are we not owed
money?
“These
monies, some of them belong to the banks, some of them belong to us, where are
we today? That is why we cannot discuss with the Acting President here in this
assembly, we asked for a private meeting where serious decisions can be taken.”
“The way we
are going, we are producing power; government cannot pay because they have no
business paying. You are consuming power, you want the government to pay for
you. It is not right.
“You are
using cell phone, government is not paying for that, you pay for it yourself.
We are used to wastage of power, you leave your living room and leave the power
on. If you know you are paying the right tariff, you will switch the power
off.”
Also calling
for tariff hike, the Managing Director, Egbin Power Plc, Kola Adesina, said
there were costs that the Gencos incurred in trying to generate electricity and
the current structures on ground were not business-friendly since electricity
was not political but business inclined.
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