By KETRA KALUNGA
WE have not applied for electricity tariff adjustments because the application is contingent upon the results of the Electricity Cost of Service Study which is at consultation level, Zesco Senior Corporate Affairs manager, John Kunda has said.
Dr Kunda was responding to reports that Government has directed the power utility company to adjust electricity tariffs upwards by 13 percent.
He said in an interview that Zesco had not made an application to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) as a regulator for tariff increments because that would be anchored on the results of the Electricity Cost of Service Study.
Dr Kunda said the study which is yet to be finalised was the benchmark on which Zesco would make an application to the ERB which was the only mandated institution to approve and announce electricity tariff adjustments
“The current application for a tariff adjustment will be anchored on the cost of service study, so for now we have not applied for anything, the tariff remains the one that was approved in 2020,” he said.
Dr Kunda explained that when the study was ready, Zesco Limited would make an application in line with the Electricity Act after which the ERB as the regulator would review the application.
Energy expert, Johnstone Chikwanda recently argued that the debate on 13 percent tariff adjustment was premature because the ERB had not yet informed the nation that it had received an application from Zesco on tariff adjustment in a public notice.
Mr Chikwanda stated that as per procedure, Zesco Limited makes an application to ERB which in turn informs the nation that it has received an application for tariff adjustment in a public notice which it has not been done.
Mr Chikwanda said it would be wrong for the general public to assume that the electricity tariffs would be adjusted upwards by 13 percent because the ERB has not yet issued any public notice.
