The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that implementation of the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme has suffered set back as power distribution companies, DISCOs, take money from estimating their customers rather than metering them, despite customers’ willingness to make advance payments for meters.
NERC Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi who made the disclosure on Wednesday announced fresh plans by the Commission to commence enforcement action against the eight DISCOs for non-compliance with the terms in the CAPMI initiative.
The planned crackdown on Discos, he said follows NERC’s dissatisfaction with the level of implementation of the CAPMI by majority of the electricity distribution firms operating in the country.
According to a statement signed by the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Dr. Usman Arabi, NERC has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Discos “to show why punitive actions should not be taken and sanction meted on them for non-compliance with the CAPMI”.
“The decision to punish the distribution companies stems from their violation of the provisions of the terms and conditions of the licenses they hold,” it added.
The commission has also ordered affected firms to immediately provide meters to customers that have paid for them. To this extent, Amadi disclosed that the Commission would issue an order setting the credited advance payment itself after the stipulated period of 18 months to allow DISCOs aggressively meter their CAPMI customers.
By Olisemeka Obeche
[divider]