The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is unhappy about the marginal tariff increment announced on Thursday by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) and said it was uncalled for.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Rr8yswnbpZaDGKjmZJwyRjcGH4JXfGZv”]The PURC in the second quarter Automatic Adjustment Formula, arrived at an actual increase of 31.73% cumulative for electricity and 21.30% for water but the Commission using the Decision Variable decided to pass on the minimal tariff increase of 2.63% for electricity and 1.06% for water due the erratic power supply in the country.
This is despite the irregular power supply from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
But the PURC defended the increment saying this will help ECG buy the necessary equipment to run the current load system. Speaking to Citi News President of GUTA George Ofori said the increment will lead to the collapse of more businesses.
He said for those in the business sector “the inability of the ECG to provide us good services is making factories close down. Others are relocating their businesses to other regional blocks”. For him the irregular power supplies coupled with the recent tariff increase will cause businesses to disintegrate. He said “the poor power supply directly or indirectly is collapsing our businesses”
Some Ghanaians who spoke to Citi News also expressed their disappointment over the increment.
They all indicated that they would have paid higher if water and electricity supply were regular.
ECG needs money to manage ‘dumsor’ – PURC
Meanwhile, the PURC has defended the 2.63% increment slapped on electricity tariff saying, it is aimed at helping the ECG manage the ongoing load shedding exercise.
The PURC further explained that the increment will help ECG buy the necessary equipment to effectively run the current load management system.
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By: Magdalene Teiko Larnyoh/citifmonline.com/Ghana