WINDHOEK: Following public outcry over the increased electricity tariffs, Electricity Control Board (ECB) Chief Executive Officer Robert Kahimise has announced that consumers will continue paying the approved tariffs for 2023/2024 instead of the new increased tariffs for 2024/2025.

Briefing the media here on Wednesday, Kahimise said this follows government’s allocation of N.dollars 365 million to subsidise electricity consumers for the 2024/2025 financial year effective 01 July to 30 June 2025.

Kahimise indicated that in line with Section 27 of the Electricity Act No 4 of 2007, the Board approved an effective 8 per cent bulk electricity tariff for the Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) for the financial year 2024/2025, which was announced on 26 April 2024. The tariff approvals for the major distribution utilities were then announced on 27 June 2024.

The ECB Board will allow licensees to deviate from the approved 2024/2025 approved schedule of tariffs as per Section 27(3) of the Electricity Act, he explai
ned.

He further explained that approximately N.dollars 221 million of the N.dollars 365 million has been set aside to assist NamPower to execute its mandate and to ensure uninterrupted security of electricity supply.

Kahimise added that the remaining N.dollars 144 million will be utilised by the distribution utilities to lessen the impact of the electricity tariff on their customers for the said period.

‘As such, the public is hereby informed that the ECB will engage the licensees on the modalities for recovering their approved revenue requirements for the 2024/2025 financial year,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency