Eskom tariff hikes: DA reiterates call for A-G to annually audit all NERSA pricing and regulatory account determinations
29 July 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has noted the High Court ruling in favour of Eskom against the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), allowing the power utility to hike electricity tariffs by more than 10%.
While the DA respects the Court’s decision, it is unfortunate that these tariff hikes come at a time when our country is in a middle of an economic meltdown that has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected the livelihoods of thousands of households across South Africa.
This tariff hike is Eskom’s bid to recoup the loss that resulted through an error made by NERSA in calculating tariffs for the power utility, an error which has cost Eskom billions in revenue. NERSA’s ongoing “mistakes” will cost the South African public dearly as South Africans can barely afford electricity prices as it is.
The DA reiterates our call on the Auditor-General of South Africa to audit all NERSA’s pricing and regulatory account determinations on an annual basis, in order to prevent another “mistake” at the expense of South Africa’s long-suffering consumers.