Deputy Ranking Member on Mines and Energy Committee, Ms Sowah Adjoa Della has stated that the Committee advised the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to ensure that the tariff increment was not done in a way that will affect the ordinary Ghanaian but it (PURC) did not listen to their advice.
According to her, the PURC was advised to use the profit made from crude oil to cushion the ordinary Ghanaian but it refused and arrived at the current tariff increment.
The PURC after a stakeholder’s consultation approved an increase in electricity tariff by 27.15% and water by 21.55% effective 1st September, 2022.
The above increment, mainly applies to the average end-user.
In a statement on Monday, the PURC said, “The Commission therefore decided to increase the average end-user tariff for electricity by 27.15% and water by 21.55% effective 1st September, 2022.”
It explained that, “These rates, in view of the Commission, are sensitive and responsive to the positions of all stakeholders in the utility space in line with sections 3(c) of PURC Act 1997 (Act 538).”
Read Also: Tariffs: Electricity increased by 27.15%, water, 21.55% effective September 1
Speaking on Atinka FM‘s morning show, AM Drive with Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Ms Sowah Adjoa Della said,”PURC spoke with us, but we told them that with the hike they want to do, it will affect the ordinary Ghanaian and so they should go and check how they will do it in a way that it will not affect the ordinary Ghanaian. After all, luckily, crude oil prices have gone high and so government will get profit from the high price of the crude oil and so they should use the extra profit to cushion the ordinary Ghanaian in the electricity sector, and that is what we told them. We gave them the advice but they did not take it.”
She added that,”The service providers said they needed more money to do their work and we also said they needed to be more efficient, you need more money but your efficiency level is not high and so you are losing revenue in some places. You said you want to increase tariffs, but look at the life of the ordinary Ghanaian. The cost of living is very high, people cannot make ends meet and if you increase the electricity and water bills very high, a lot of people cannot afford it, so look at the profit you are making in the oil revenue, use some of that to cushion the ordinary Ghanaian.
Meanwhile, Ms Sowah Adjoa Della said it’s unfortunate that nothing can be done about the current tariff.
However, she stressed that the service providers must be efficient in their operations, considering the plight of Ghanaians.
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