Africa-Press – Angola. More than one million and 300 thousand pre-paid system meters should be installed in the country in the near future, to make the commercial management of the National Electricity Distribution Company (ENDE) more efficient, announced this Wednesday the Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges.
Like some countries such as South Africa, Argentina, Scotland and Colombia, Angola has adopted, in recent years, the prepaid system, aiming at energy efficiency, as it guarantees greater profitability for both the consumer and the energy distribution company.
It is within this framework that the Minister of Energy and Water states that investments are planned in more than one million and 300 thousand meters, within the scope of financing from the African Development Bank (ADB).
According to the government official, the needs also extend to medium voltage customers, who are responsible for a good share of the National Electricity Distribution Company’s billing.
Speaking in Benguela, at the 12th Consultative Council of the Ministry of Energy and Water (MINEA), João Baptista Borges admitted that ENDE does not yet have an efficient commercial management system, despite ensuring the commercialization of a large part of the energy produced.
Hence there is a high shortage of meters, even in large clients, as recognized by the holder of the Energy and Water portfolio, while speaking at the opening of the Consultative Council under the motto “Energy and Water towards expansion and improvement in the quality of services”.
He made it known that, at national level, ENDE has one million, 955 thousand and 483 consumers on the low voltage electricity network, and, of these, seven hundred and one thousand have energy meters in a prepaid system and 84 thousand and 120 in the postpaid system.
Minister João Baptista Borges also added that one million, one hundred and seventy thousand and 363 consumers do not have any energy metering system.
Regarding medium voltage, he added that there are seven thousand and 782 consumers across the country, of which three thousand and 678 have a metering system and four thousand and 104 without a metering system.
Furthermore, the person in charge made it known that the management system, including the customer database, requires urgent modernization.
“Efforts are being made and will have to be redoubled, so that the levels of increase in ENDE charges exceed the growth in annual consumption, which is 9% on average”, he said, warning that, if this is not the case, the losses – estimated at 27 percent – will increase to levels that will be difficult to recover.
However, the minister considered ENDE responsible for the return of energy sales and remuneration of the companies National Electricity Transport Network (RNT) and Electricity Production Network (PRODEL)
“Hence, its limitations and inefficiency pose serious risks in maintaining the stability of the entire sector”, he assumed.
They say they are working to make the Energy and Water sector increasingly stronger, which means “we have companies and services with higher quality”, in a process in which improving revenue collection and reducing costs play a fundamental role .
He also stated that companies in the Electricity and Water Sector still face significant difficulties in collecting revenue from collection activities, although there is a favorable trend, “but still below what we need”.
Running until September 28th, the 12th MINEA Advisory Council is evaluating progress in accessing and improving the quality of energy and water services, in addition to reflecting on the need to attract Investment and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). ), in the market model and suitability of tariffs and sustainability of Public Companies.
In addition to addressing topics such as “Production, distribution and commercialization of water in the north, east, center and south”, the meeting is also taking stock of the Program of structuring actions to combat the effects of the drought in the South of Angola (PCESSA) .
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