Ijeoma Agudosi/
Yemisi Izuora
Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) have sought the exemption of the Credit Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) from the limit placed on Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
The call was in reaction to the directives by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) that all energy consumers must be metered within one year.
The Executive Director, Association of Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr. Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, who addressed the media in Lagos said that the CAPEX allowed for all discos in a year is in the average of N50billion which is grossly inadequate to meet expected improvement in the sector.
According to him, There is huge gap in power sector funding over the years. According to the power sector privatization agreement, all the discos can only invest an average of N50billion in a year because of the present tariff structure. But if the CAPMI is exempted from the CAPEX limit, our members can channel their investment into metering all the customers without affecting other intended investment in infrastructural development to boost power supply across their networks.
The CAPMI scheme is designed to allow willing customers to pay an advancement for pre-paid meter which must be installed within 60 days after payment.
In her statement, the Chief Executive Officer, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Mrs Funke Osibodu, stated that because the discos directly interfaced with the power consumers, they blame the discos for every problem in power sector.
“We are only in control of our networks. We don’t have control over generation and transmission. In fact, we are like collection agents for the entire power industry”.