Esther Salifu
The Nigeria Labour Congress has condemned the tariff hike in electricity saying the federal government should prepared for the consequences of the policy.
The Head of Information, NLC Benson Upah disclosed this on Saturday.
He said there is no place in the world where high power tariffs have supported manufacturing. Not even in the developed world.
Upah, who described the tariff hike as injurious Policy said those in charge are the World Bank and the IMF.
He said: “We did say earlier that this tariff hike is insensitive and unpopular. So if the government elects to continue with the hike or persists in something that is evil , I’ m sure it is equally prepared for the consequences of that evil.
“The manufacturers are saying this is going to hurt businesses and make the environment more hostile, and we also said so. There is no place in the world where high power tariffs have supported manufacturing. Not even in the developed world.
“So, it completely beats our imagination for the minister to have the audacity to say that the policy would continue. What this means is that the minister and the President are not in charge. It is saddening that the minister elected to pursue an unpopular policy.”
Upah added, “It shows that the minister and the President are not in charge. The people in charge are the World Bank and the IMF. They are the ones driving this highly injurious policy.
“So, our leaders should be prepared for the consequences of this highly injurious policy. That is what I’ll say about this issue for now.”
Manufacturers and the organised labour had kicked against the hike in tariff payable by about 1.9 million consumers, which was approved and announced by the Federal Government on Wednesday.
Subsidy on electricity was withdrawn completely from the tariff of consumers on the band A category, which constitute about 15 per cent of the total 12.82 million power consumers across the country.
The government announced the hike in electricity tariff at a press briefing in Abuja by NERC, adding that those affected would pay N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the previous rate of N68/kWh, representing about 240 per cent increase.
The government stated that the decision took effect on April 3, 2024.
But the Organised Private Sector, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress kicked against the hike in tariff for power users and demanded that the decision be reversed.
They argued that the hike in tariff would send manufacturers out of business, worsen inflation and stifle small and medium enterprises, adding that there was no place in Nigeria currently enjoying up to 20 hours of power supply daily.
Band A power users are those who get up to 20 hours supply of electricity daily.
However, the minister argued that the tariff hike was pro-poor, as those affected were mainly residents who could afford the cost, but noted that subsidy on electricity was only going to be for the short term.
He said the Federal Government plans to end the subsidy on power within three years, and the withdrawal of subsidy from band A customers is just the pilot phase.
He said, “This tariff review conforms with our policy thrust of maintaining a subsidised pricing regime in the short run or the short term with a transition plan to achieve a full cost-reflective tariff for over a period of, let us say three years.
“I have mentioned it in a couple of media briefings that it is because of the government’s sensitivity to the pains of our people that we will not make us migrate fully into a cost- reflective tariff or remove subsidy 100 per cent in the power sector like it was done in oil and gas sector.
“This is more like a pilot for us at the Ministry of Power and our agencies. It is like a proof of concept that those that have the infrastructure sufficient enough to deliver stable power and enjoy 20 hours of light to be the ones to get tariff hike.”
