Page 11 - AfrElec Week 17

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AfrElec
POLICY
Côte d’Ivoire offers
electricity payment relief
amid COVID-19 crisis
In several countries across West Africa, Covid-19 has disrupted the way of life, stranding millions of families at home. This has forced citizens and public utility companies to design coping systems while ensuring basic coverage needs are met.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the postponement of
bill payment deadlines includes electricity. Authorities have decided to extend payment deadlines for April and May 2020 for all households. The payment deadline from April has been extended to July 2020, and from May to August 2020. This measure affects more than 1mn households, or more than 6mn Ivorians.
“People have an additional three months to pay these bills. This measure means that no penalty will be applied to customers, and that there will be no suspension of the supply of electricity due to non-payment from April 1. In addition, the settlement of these invoices can be made in several payments over the deferral period,” says Abdourahmane Cissé, Ivorian Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies.
Added to the measures taken by authorities to reduce household expenses, national electricity networks are weakening across the continent, due the population being confined to their homes. In several African capitals
and large cities, the national media report that power cuts and the application in certain cases of rotations by district in the supply of electricity.
It is in this context that the government
of Nigeria has decided to install hybrid
solar systems to reduce the effects of load shedding in COVID-19 patient care centres. Mini hybrid solar power plants have been installed by the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency in care centres for people infected with COVID-19 in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos State, as well as Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria.
Nigeria: Proposed free
electricity supply is not
feasible
The implementation of the proposed two- month free electricity supply to Nigerians is unlikely to materialise due to the structure of the electricity supply industry in the country.
Sunday Oduntan the executive director in charge of research and advocacy for
the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, made the announcement in early April, stating that the move was meant to reduce the impacts of COVID-19 on Nigerians.
However, THISDAY reported that Minister of Power Saleh Mamman, in a BBC Hausa interview doubted the possibility of executing the proposal, which is estimated to cost
the federal government between N100bn ($257mn) and N120bn ($308mn) for the two months.
The minister highlighted that the power supply chain is not owned by the federal government only.
He added that if the National Assembly insists on pressing ahead with the plan, its members should come up with fresh ideas on its implementation.
TARIFFS
Zimbabwe govt denies ZESA secretly hiked power tariffs
ENERGY Minister Fortune Chasi has dismissed as false, claims that power utility, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) had secretly hiked tariffs without notifying consumers.
Electricity users have in recent weeks raised concerns over increased amounts they were spending on power tariffs and were suspicious ZESA had nicodemously hiked its charges.
However, speaking to NewZimbabwe.com over the weekend, Chasi allayed consumers’ fears arguing the ruling Zanu PF government under the “Second Republic” was maintaining a high degree of transparency on public interest matters.
“There is nothing like that since electricity is still being charged at the previously announced tariffs. The challenge which members of the consuming public could be experiencing has more to do with how they are using the energy,” Chasi said.
“Remember, since the commencement of the lockdown, power has been available every day and it comes at a cost.”
Zimbabwe is currently on a five-week national lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Chasi added the government was no longer subsidising consumers as was the situation in the past few years.
“However, if there are any issues, I urge consumers to report such issues and the government will definitely launch an inquiry into the matter,” he added.
Namibian regulator rejects
Nampower’s bulk tariff
increase application
The Electricity Control Board resolved that Nampower’s average tariff will not change and therefore will remain at N$1.65 per kilowatt- hour for the period 2020/2021, meaning that this financial year, there will be a 0% tariff adjustment.
The regulator agreed to this after NamPower submitted a tariff application for an effective bulk tariff increase of 3.9%, an increase from an average N$1.65 per kilowatt- hour to N$1.71 per kilowatt-hour for the 2020/21 year.
The Electricity Control Board rejected
Week 17 30•April•2020
w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m
P11