Maravi

Zesco remarks on tariff increment unsettle ERB

Zesco remarks on tariff increment unsettle ERB
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Friday, April 03, 2009 6:44:27 PM

ENERGY Regulation Board (ERB) is unsettled by Zesco Limited's recent statement blaming the regulator for the current proposed high electricity tariff increase of 66 per cent.

Zesco Limited director for customer services Teddy Mwale blamed ERB for the current proposed tariff adjustment, saying the power utility would have effected a much lower tariff this year had the energy regulator correctly approved previous applications.

Zesco argues that tariffs could have been lower had ERB awarded a higher tariff increase for 2008 under the multi-year tariff framework.

But according to the statement released yesterday and signed for executive director Silvester Hibajene, ERB has since summoned Zesco to appear before it over the statement.

"Zesco Limited has been summoned to appear before the board of the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) tomorrow (today) Friday, 3rd April 2009, following media statements attributed to it regarding the tariff application which is currently under consideration," the statement read in part.

ERB observed that the issuance of public statements by the company on a matter duly before the ERB could be prejudicial to the decision of the board.

"Therefore, Zesco has been summoned in order to safeguard the integrity of the tariff determination process, which lends itself to public consultations before a decision is arrived at," stated ERB.

Labels: ERB, TARIFFS, ZESCO

posted by MrK @ 5:44 PM