The Commerce Commission has concluded its inquiry into the operations of the Fiji Electricity Authority based on the review of the FEA tariff structure.
With the Commission expected to announce its determination within the next few weeks, many people are hoping that the tariffs do not increase yet again.
Commission Chairman Doctor Mahendra Reddy only said that people should have confidence in the commission that it would make the right decision after taking all the factors into account.
Doctor Reddy said people have to remember at this stage that the cost of producing a unit of electricity is higher than the tariffs set.
He also said people need to look at energy conservation methods, and business houses should ensure that they review how they are using all the electrical lights, appliances and machines at this stage.
Doctor Reddy also said they are reviewing the threshold for those households that will get a subsidized tariff rate.
He said while the Commission understands the difficulties, they have to get the prices right.
Doctor Reddy said as part of the review they are also assessing FEA's financial management practices, its salary levels and trends, outsourcing activities and consultancy. He said it is important to find out whether FEA has taken advantage of its monopoly status and therefore may have bumped up its expenditure resulting in the rise in electricity unit cost.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
Feature
Commerce Commission wraps up FEA inquiry
