MAN Urges FG To Intervene In On-going Disagreement With DISCOs

Manufacturers Plead With FG On Power Generation

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have urged the Federal Government to help quel the debt disagreement they are currently having with the electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, so as to enable them access the stranded 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

This call was made by MAN President Dr Frank Jacobs, who stated that the conditions given by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) were tough, as it may not be achieved easily due to the volume of the debt.

He said, “Some of the challenges we have with taking advantage of the stranded 2,000 megawatts of power is that the NERC has continued to insist that MAN members and consumers clear off outstanding debts to the DISCOs.

“However, there have been disagreements on how much is really involved and that has not been resolved to date. The figures reeled out by the DISCOs are too high when compared with what our members claimed they owed.”

He said both MAN and DISCOs reached an agreement to call on the government to intervene as they can access and take advantage of the stranded power.

The MAN President also urged the government to ensure an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive is provided by making available the necessary infrastructure, macro-economic environment and ease of doing business.

“This means providing the necessary basic infrastructure to ensure that the macroeconomic environment is suitable for business to thrive. Business successes are determined by parameters such as exchange rates, interest rates, taxation and ease of doing business and we urge that these factors be addressed to encourage local and foreign investments,” he said.