Sikelela Dlamini, the Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) said Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) should postpone the increase in electricity tariffs to the next financial year.
Speaking to this Swaziland News, the SNAT boss said EEC was wrong to postpone the tariff increase to June 2020 as companies and individuals will suffer the loss of revenue as a result of the coronavirus and lockdown.
"EEC is a capital driven company which is concerned about profit maximization,it was supposed to be a public company that brings affordable services to everyone. We should take into consideration that companies will suffer due to a decline in profits during this partial lockdown. Thousands of Emaswati will be laid off as a result, and everyone will be hit hard by the unfavorable economical conditions that we are yet to experience .The company ought to have postponed the tariff increase to the next financial year since the economy is likely to take a nose dive during the lockdown or even months after", he said.
When asked if it would be a good decision to entirely stop the increase in the midst of the coronavirus challenges, the Secretary General said this would be like postposing a funeral.
" This is like postponing a funeral since economic recovery can't happen overnight"said the Secretary General.
SNAT Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini