Eswatini PM orders EEC audit after 406m emalangeni loss
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Times of Eswatini
Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has ordered the board of the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) to conduct a financial assessment after an operating loss of about 406 million emalangeni. The audit aims to identify the causes of the difficulties and reduce costs without increasing tariffs for consumers.
Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has ordered the board of the Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) to conduct an assessment of the utility’s financial sustainability and operational efficiency after an operating loss of about 406 million emalangeni, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Audited accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2026 show a net loss of about 231 million emalangeni. Russell Dlamini attributed EEC’s difficulties to the high cost of imported electricity, insufficient cost recovery through tariffs, inflation and other operating expenses, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Eswatini imports about 70% of the electricity consumed in the country. The prime minister said the current cost of these imports was unsustainable and indicated that the state should subsidise part of the electricity purchased from abroad to avoid a further increase in tariffs paid by consumers.
Dlamini also noted a gap between supply costs and the tariff increases granted to EEC during the 2025/2026 financial year. The company received an average tariff increase of 8%, while its main electricity supplier raised its tariff by about 13.24%, according to the Times of Eswatini.
