By Bahle Gama
Consumers have told the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority and Eswatini Electricity Company that they do not want the 21.31 per cent proposed tariff hike.
Consumers raised their dissatisfaction with the proposal during a tariff public hearing held at the Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT) on Wednesday. Emotions ran high during the discussions with others threatening to take to the streets over the move.
Consumers indicated that it was not the right time to be increasing tariffs as many people were struggling to make ends meet amid a tough economic period.
Those who commented included Businessman Walter Bennet, Yaya Dlamini a student and Zodwa Khanyile.
Khanyile told the meeting that with the stagnant salaries, it would be inconsiderate that another hike in any of the major commodities is implemented.
“Ngeke sisadla. Does this mean we will live like this, salaries remaining the same and bills hiking endlessly?” she asked.
She was followed by Dlamini who questioned whether businesses were being protected at the expense of the consumer as it seems they (consumers) will be the ones suffering the most in this regard. She further asked whether EEC did not have insurance to cover its property plant and
equipment.
“We cannot be putting petty things like car repairs and plants as an expense on the average consumer, it is unfair,” she said.
Bennet went to town with his questions and comments and did not refrain from calling out the regulator and EEC at the meeting. He called the relationship between the stakeholders and consumers “wrong and patronizing yet it is monetary.”
He continued and mentioned that EEC was not transparent with its customers in that all of EEC’s expenses, salaries, and tariff hikes are carried by the consumer, where exactly do they (customers) get the opportunity to talk to EEC, the board, and the government about these expenses brought to them.
“Essentially the basis of taxes is representation. There cannot be taxation without such. Where is the integrity? We don’t expect anything less than you do that. Why does it look like it’s a privilege to say so when that is basic for the customer and supplier?”
He further questioned why EEC never publishes its financials before a tariff hike application or at the very least brings them to the meetings.
“We have an effective forum to interrogate this issue and both companies are talking about integrity. In 2020 when we met with EEC at Thokoza, you did not present your financials. This year again it’s the same issue but you come to seek us again from a position of integrity without those financials. Why does it happen all the time when you claim to be accountable, transparent, and integrity driven,” he questioned.
He further proposed that such engagements be had pre-emptively, more than one.
“This is not a Christmas exercise we pay for electricity on a daily basis. We need to see the model, interrogate it and put an input. We put into your revenue daily, but we only see you once a year and we have to compete with Christmas at that. So really, we really need to know ESERAs responsibility,” he said.
