Updated: 6:55am – A man claiming to be a representative of the Monasavu landowners, has told the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in a talanoa session in Suva that they want Fiji Electricity Authority to increase the electricity rate to ensure that the landowners get more money from the company’s profits.
While speaking in the session in Suva, the man said that they want a share of FEA’s profit apart from their lease money.
The Prime Minister then asked the man if he knew FEA’s operational costs and the man replied that it is impossible for the FEA to use $100 million in operational costs every year.
The man also claimed that FEA customers are charged 10 cents per unit and this should be increased to ensure that the landowners get more money.
Bainimarama told the man that a meeting with the Monasavu landowners will be scheduled soon to help clarify the matter.
Fijivillage has contacted the villagers of Nadrau in Monasavu who have clarified that they do have the intention to have discussions with the government, however were not aware of the request that was made to the Prime Minister on behalf of the landowners of Monasavu yesterday by a man who claims to be a representative of the Monasavu landowners.
Meanwhile, FEA Chief Executive Officer Hasmukh Patel has clarified that domestic residential customers are charged 33 cents per unit and there is a government subsidy for domestic residential customers for the first 100 units of electricity.
He says that commercial customers are charged 39 cents per unit for consumption up to 14,999 units (kWh)adding that for units in excess of 14,999 units, the tariff rate is 41 cents per unit (kWh)
Patel is yet to comment on the man’s request that FEA should increase the electricity rate for the benefit of the landowners.
However, FEA had stated in 2015 that the royalty payment was first made in 1983 when the Wailoa Power Station was first commissioned adding that since its commissioning, every 10 years the royalty is revised upwards by 10%.
It adds that the first revision was in 1993, then another one was done in 2003, the last one was in 2013 and the next review will be in 2023.
-Fiji Village
Featured image: The Monasavu Dam [Photo: FEA]
