By: Saidu Jalloh (Intern)
The Director General of Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, Emmanuel Mannah has in a press briefing organized by Ministry of Information and Civic Education at the Foreign Affairs Conference Room said that they are planning to reduce electricity tariff if citizens refrain from electricity theft.
This statement comes as a wake of cry by citizens on the increase of electricity tariff. Emmanuel Mannah said that anytime they revised tariff it would go with conditions and those conditions are been monitored and that EDSA was losing a lot of money and EDSA was not to make profit and it is government utility and dividend of the utility through lower tariff. AS soon as we all come together to reduce energy theft and EDSA will have a lot of money and we will revisit the tariff’’, Emmanuel Mannah said.
Mr. Mannah also explained about the structure of Mathematics they are using to sell electricity to people.
He explained that they had what they called inclining block. There are times, depending on when you buy EDSA top up; you will have higher and other times little bit lower. In putting things into context,he narrated that they made provision for 0 t0 25 kilowatt hour. If you buy from 0 to 25 kilowatt hour inside the month you will get the rate smaller relative to other blocks.
Mr. Mannah expressed that the energy you buy inside the month, they more you pay. It is all down to how you consume energy.
“It is like a tax the more you earn the more you pay. The more appliances you have, the more you attract higher tariff”, he stated.
He noted that energy is almost a human right, people should be able to have access to light in their homes to light their bulbs, charge their telephone and radio, as soon as you move from that you are not a poor man in consuming energy.
Mr. Mannah also opined that his commission is in charge of selling electricity rate to EDSA and given license to people who wants to do business with electricity. He further highlighted the causes for the increase in electricity tariff which he said is due to the depreciation of the Leones to the Dollar and cost of fuel.
“We are the middle man between the government, EDSA and the Public and we are monitoring all those we have giving license to follow the terms and conditions and to provide quality service for the people,’’ Mr. Mannah said.
He added that they have what they call transparency tariff setting and whenever they give tariff, they are monitoring those utilities not to exploit the public and to sell at the right rate.
He revealed that they can also ask the utilities to come for review of their rate or based on the utilities economics dynamics cash; they can apply for review of their rate.
He went on to say that the last time they review the rate was one year six months ago and they are doing that based on the triggers.
The last time we reviewed it to now it is the same tariff an average 21 US cents and fuel rate was ten thousand five hundred Leones whenever they ask for rate they have to justify those rate.
He also said EDSA asked for 25 five cent increment but they refused and gave them 23 cents. The public should be adequately informing on the increase in tariff by newspaper, radio and sometimes gazette it
