Hotel Owners and Managers Association of Lagos (HOMAL) has decried the increase in tariff of Band A electricity consumers and petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The NERC had on April 3, 2024, approved an electricity tariff increase for customers in the Band A category, enjoying 20 hours of power supply daily, from N66 per kilowatt to N225/kWh.
A joint statement signed by the President of the Association, Samuel Alabi, and the General Secretary, Adeniyi Ologun, said most of its members operating hotels, restaurants, fast food outlets, night clubs and related hospitality outfits fall within the Band A consumer bracket.
“Given the perfectly elastic nature of our services, such a significant increase in our energy costs cannot be accommodated by a consequential price review regime on our services,” it said.
The association also asserted that the review could not stand the test of the law and its lawyers have commenced necessary action to forestall the implementation of the approved tariff review order of NERC.
“In compliance with the pre-action notice requirement of the law, we have petitioned NERC for the cancellation of the tariff increase. If the increase is implemented, it will run our members out of business leading to unemployment of many Nigerians,” it added.
