BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – It is now up to electricity consumers to determine if the proposed electricity tariff increase of 25.51 percent stands or not.
This follows reports today, which are to the effect that Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) has applied for an electricity tariff increase of 25.51 percent from next year. This means that the consumer will get around 32 electricity units for E100, with the consumer getting around 16 units for E50. The country’s power producer made this application to Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA). ESERA is supposed to have made a decision on this regard by February 1, 2025.
ESERA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sikhumbuzo Tsabedze today (Tuesday, November 5, 2024) made an announcement during a press conference in Mbabane, stating that EEC had requested to increase the electricity tariff by 25.51 percent during the 2025/26 financial year. Tsabedze further stated that EEC applied for an increase of 27.06 percent.
“They say that for them to be able to operate, they are asking for an amount of E4.2 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. In the following year (2026/27), they are asking for E4.57 billion. This means they are asking for an electricity tariff increase of 25.51 percent for 2025/26 financial year, while they ask for an increase of 27.06 percent for 2026/27 financial year,” Tsabedze said.
Tsabedze further mentioned that by November 1, EEC should have applied for an electricity tariff increase, hence they did so, resulting in the announcement made today. The CEO also stated that they were left with three months to decide if they granted the request made by EEC. He said that would depend on the opinions made by the consumers during the consultations that they would do within the three months.
The CEO said they wanted to ensure that the consultations took place in all the country’s four regions. Tsabedze pleaded with the nation to participate in the consultations because the parastatal would not be able to reach a decision on EEC’s request, without the nation’s input on the proposed hike. He implored the nation to help them ensure that they finished the consultations by December 14, 2024.
He said they would start the consultation process on November 7, 2024 to ensure that they would have finished by December 14, 2024.
