The one-year waiver on import levy recently granted by President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated the commitment of the president to addressing the deficit in electricity prepaid meters in the country.
An electricity expert, Mohammed Idris in an interview commended President Buhari for the waiver and expressed optimism that, the meters would help in no small measure to improve Nigeria’s electricity.
Idris stressed that the waiver was a demonstration of political will towards addressing the issue of meter deficit in the country.
He said, with the development, DISCO should begin the massive installation of prepaid meters, with the view of ending the regime of estimated billing as directed by the president.
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“Prepaid meter is the only thing that would help both the electricity customers as well as the distribution companies from being shortchanged, as customers will only pay for energy consumed.
“If any customer fails to recharge, such a customer will not have access to electricity,” Idris added.
He was hopeful that the frequent clashes and attacks on discos staff when trying to disconnect electricity consumers over unpaid bills would come to an end, should the prepaid meters are made available.
“Discos should put machinery in place to check the activities of some of their staff who are aiding illegal connections and bypassing prepaid, thereby shortchanging the company.
He, therefore, advised the company to ensure total compliance on the ban of estimated billing by ensuring all their customers are metered.
The electricity expert then appealed to consumers to buy prepaid meters as was the case in other developed countries, saying, the decision of President Buhari was in the best interest of people.
