There have been calls for Government to provide free electricity to Ugandans for at least six months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected income streams of the majority people.
In response to the calls, the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) says that it needs Shs64bn every month if it’s to distribute free electricity to domestic consumers during this Coronavirus pandemic period.
Appearing before Parliament’s Natural Resources Committee today along with the Minister of State For Energy and Mineral Development Simon D’Ujanga to give response on a number of issues raised by the committee on ERA, MPs asked Ziria Tibalwa Naako, the Chief Executive Officer at ERA about the funds they may need to give electricity relief to Ugandans.
The MPs insisted that the continued billing of people especially those living in slums creates much stress on them as the working situation has not normalized again.
The mps called for subsidized tariffs or no billing especially for the vulnerable poor.
However, Ziria says the sector has quantified and presented to the covid-19 task force what they will need to support different categories of people as preparation for the worst time if COVID-19 escalates.
She said they will need Shs17bn monthly if they are to provide free electricity to the “poorest of the poor capping it at 30 units per domestic consumer”.
Minister D’Ujanga noted that the billing for electricity will still exist for the ministry to know how much they are performing
President Yoweri Museveni has since March when he announced a countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus asked agencies bodies mainly for water and electricity not to disconnect people, but this has not limited the billing and running out of power especially for those on Yaka pre-payment system.
It should be noted that Parliament in June 2020 passed and adopted a motion asking Government to provide a Waiver on Payment of Water and Electricity for a period of six months as the COVID-19 Lockdown continues to bite.
The motion was tabled by Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuuga, who noted that aid that government has not made attempts to relieve the poor people from paying heavy power and water bills during this COVID-19 Pandemic.
