Head of Chamber of Commerce accuses JEDCO of hiking electricity tariff
The Acting chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, Lado Lukak has accused the main electricity provider Juba Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (JEDCO) of exploiting customers by constantly increasing electricity tariff.
“The power has become expensive like the U.S dollar, South Sudan has the most expensive power in the world and nobody is asking the power company why they are overcharging customers,” Lukak said on Tuesday.
He was speaking during the 3rd trade fair exhibition dubbed “Made in South Sudan Exhibition” held at Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba.
“The government has shares in the power company, the government contributes fuel and why should they leave the responsibility to that company alone,” asked Lukak.
Lukak claimed that when customers pay 10,000 SSP for electricity bills, 2,500 SSP is deducted.
“The company is overcharging the customers, when you go and buy the power with 10,000 SSP; they deduct 2500 SSP from you, why is this thing happening meanwhile it is our power,” he said.
Lukak wondered why the company is exploiting citizens when the government is a shareholder.
“The government is the one who paid for the poles the company erected along the road through African Development Bank. The transmission cables and poles belong to the government; it is only the generator that belongs to the company,” he said.
Lukak appealed to the government to intervene in the matter.
“The government should buy its own generator or ask the company for the cost of the generator since the transmission poles belong to the government, and then the company should have been given a certain period to use its generators and later handover the power to the government,” he said.
Onyoti Adigo Nyikwech, Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries urged affected citizens to report to concerned government institutions so that JEDCO can be held to account.
“We are appealing to the citizens that there is a need to air out such grievances which are facing the citizens so that the government will be able to take any measures against them,” Adigo said.
