Will the proposed increases by Eskom cripple our economy further?
Can we really afford another price hike from ESKOM? This is what some of our local residents and business owners had to say.
NIGEL/HEIDELBERG – In a recent statement Congress of the People (COPE) announced that it does not accept that Nersa should allow Eskom an additional increase to recover R11,7 billion for its revenue shortfall, R8 billion for the cost of operating the open cycle gas turbines and R2,4 billion for incurring primary energy costs.
COPE said it believes that electricity is becoming unaffordable for most commercial and domestic users in South Africa. “If anything, the cost of electricity must start to come down. Only then will the economy begin to register growth and only then will Eskom become profitable by selling more electricity,” COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem said.
HERAUT asked some residents and business owners for their opinion regarding the possibility of an additional price increase by Eskom and this is an insert of what they had to say: (full article will appear in the next edition of HERAUT)
“Ek dink die prysverhoging is nodig, want Eskom kan nie aangaan met uitbreiding en instandhouding van verskillende kragstasies as hy nie kapitaal het nie. “ BENNIE BURGER
NIGEL – Fausto Tagliaferri: “From a business point of view, it will be impossible to absorb further electricity increases, especially when taking into consideration the already weak South African economy. I find it ironic that a company can daily advertise that consumers should use less of their product (electricity), yet they expect us to pay more. ”
“As Eskom wanbetaler munisipaliteite kan opskroef om agterstallige kragrekenings van R5 miljard te vereffen, hoef ons nie gewurg te word met uitermatige tariefverhogings nie. Heelwaarskynlik is dit nie die verbruikers wat die munisipaliteite soveel skuld dat hulle nie Eskom kan betaal nie.” RINA VAN COLLER
HEIDELBERG – Charmaine Vengetas: “It is outrageous. An 8% increase will not be fair on the lower income group who can barely make it in life especially with food prices and everything else that keeps on going up. I wish our salaries can increase with that much on a regular basis.”
LEES MEER HIEROOR IN DIE VOLGENDE UITGAWE VAN HERAUT
