Cenored reverses electricity tariffs

The newly introduced electricity tariffs by the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) in the areas of its operation will be reversed as of midnight on 04 July 2024. Cenored's Communications and Marketing Officer, Chali Matengu, in a media statement on Thursday said the government, through the Electricity Control Board (ECB), announced a plan to subsidise electricity prices with N.dollars 356 million across the board for the 2024/2025 financial year, and with this subsidy, Cenored has no choice but to reconsider and reverse its decision on the new electricity tariffs. Cenored last Friday announced its new electricity tariffs which increased by 6 per cent as of 01 July this year. Matengu explained that Cenored, which supplies electricity to the regions of Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Kunene, and part of Oshikoto, had applied for a tariff increase of 7.5 per cent at ECB, which in turn approved a 6 per cent increase, adding that this was so because the national bulk electricity supplier, NamPower also increased its electricity tariffs. Matengu further said the tariff hikes were also due to rising operational costs, maintenance expenses and investment required in upgrading the power grid for uninterrupted power supply to customers. He said the 6 per cent tariff increase only affected customers in the domestic prepaid tariff category, who had to pay N.dollars 2.79 per unit, compared to the previous N.dollars 2.62 they paid per unit. The reversal means customers will continue to pay N.dollars 2.62 per unit. Source: The Namibia Press Agency