Eskom was to ask the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to withhold sections of its tariff-increase application from the public at a meeting on Monday on the grounds that the information was ”business sensitive”, the regulator said.
”Eskom requested that some of the issues not be made public because that felt it was ‘business sensitive’ information,” said Nersa spokesperson Ryna Boshoff.
On March 18, Eskom handed in its application to the regulator’s electricity sub-committee and the information was to have been posted on Nersa’s website to facilitate public comment.
Eskom, which was granted a 14,2% increase at the end of last year, is now seeking a 53% hike amid a national electricity crisis. Countrywide daily power cuts started again at the beginning of April.
The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) on Friday called for Eskom’s proposed tariff increase to be put on hold for further consultation.
The process should be delayed to allow for urgent consultation on possible alternatives and the socio-economic impact of the increase, Nedlac said in a statement.
During Friday’s Nedlac management committee meeting, concerns were expressed by representatives of labour, business and community constituencies about the way in which the crisis was being managed.
These included the lack of urgency in following up the decisions of the joint presidential working group meeting held on February 29, the poor communication strategy that led to uncoordinated announcements and concerns about Eskom’s management of the crisis.
Monday’s Eskom-Nersa meeting was scheduled for between 8am and 10am at Nersa’s offices in Arcadia and, after that, the document could be revised before being posted on its website.
The deadline for written comment on the proposal is April 29.
The closing date for registering to attend or present material at subsequent public hearings is May 19, and the hearing itself is planned for May 23. — Sapa