Power outages cause 'immeasurable damage'
Power outages resulting from the implementation of NamPower's debt collection plan can cause immeasurable damage to the economy, interrupting critical and life-saving services such as medical services and causing misery for consumers. Therefore, any debt collection plan by any licensee that jeopardises life-saving services and causes an interruption to prepaid customers will not be supported by the Electricity Regulatory Board (ECB) in the future.The council, through its CEO, Robert Kahimise, particularly referred to customers whose bills have been settled or who use prepaid power and who have been unfairly affected by NamPower's measures.
According to Kahimise, the role of the ECB is to balance the interests of all players including consumers, licensees and other players in the power supply industry.
“The ECB approved tariffs provide for sufficient revenue for distribution licensees to pay their NamPower bills and to ensure safe and reliable power supply to its customers. The licensees have an obligation to obtain payments from its respective customers and to use the funds to operate and maintain its respective networks,” said Kahimise.
On behalf of the council, he praised the government for its positive intervention which resulted in NamPower's debt collection plan being put on hold until the end of August.
The ECB has meanwhile been invited to be part of a committee set up by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to try to find a lasting solution.
Kahimise says NamPower's current problem has arisen due to the power supplier's hesitancy or failure to adhere strictly to its own credit control policy and as a result of licensees for power distribution who have not settled their NamPower bills on time and in full over a long period of time.
"This poses a risk to power supply in Namibia because NamPower may find itself in a position where it cannot purchase sufficient power or meet the country's power needs."
Kahimise cautioned that the benefits that NamPower (and Namibia) enjoy through the power supplier's credit rating should not be underestimated.
He called on consumers to settle their accounts, while licensees must strictly adhere to credit control measures by immediately cutting off the power to ensure that consumers pay promptly. The income thus obtained must also be remitted to NamPower and not used for other expenses not related to power supply. – [email protected]